The Mystery about Romancing HalfCyborgs
by Mint Chips
Summary: To make a long summary short, Piccolo has been foolish enough to fall for a half-monkey. Not a substantial story, but it works. Rated R for blood and suggestive themes.
1. Hybrid Theory

In a darkened room, a strange scene is taking place. A young girl, no older than six, is sparring with a tall, dark figure with long black hair. The figure catches the girl off-guard and slams her against the ground.  
"Ouch! Tou-san (dad), help me up, please?" pleads the little girl, her face screwing up in pain.  
"Get up yourself," grunted the figure.  
"But I think I hurt my ankle, Tou-san. Can we stop training now?"  
"Training doesn't stop until I say so, now get up!!"  
"Raditz!" cut in a new voice. "Stop training now this very instant!!"  
A young woman with gold-blonde hair in a lab coat switches on the light switch. Red with anger, she easily scoops up the shivering child on the floor and speedily heads out the door.  
"HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH MY KID, WOMAN!?!?" bellows a pink-faced Raditz. "WE'RE NOT FINISHED TRAINING HERE!!"  
"It's finished now, chikusho (beast)," responded the woman, pausing in the doorway.  
"I oughta..."  
"Don't you dare, Raditz. You know what will happen if I find you uncontrollable."  
She held up a little black box, her thumb poised on a small, red button. Raditz paused, unable to move a muscle, for fear. Pushing it meant something close to death for him.  
"That's better, my jinzouningyou (artificial plaything). Give training a break for a while, will you? For a few days, you could do something more useful, like disappearing."  
The woman turned and left an angry-looking Raditz in the training room.  
~  
In the next room, which is a lab, the woman busies herself with wrapping the young girl's ankle. The air is silent, save for the knocking and thumping noises made by Raditz in the training room next door.  
"God, what am I going to do with him?" sighed the woman, finishing the wrap. "I knew I shouldn't have tried bringing your father back to life, but what else could I do? I was desperate for a specimen to work on, and your father's body just happened to be there... Lying in the middle of the field for the taking..."  
The girl is silent for a few moments.  
"You could've used someone else for your jinzouningen (android, cyborg…), Mommy."  
"I know, but..."  
"What's done is done, Mommy, and there's nothing you can do about it."  
"(Sigh) I suppose…"  
More silence.  
~  
Fourteen years later, another scene is taking place. This time, the girl, a tender young adult, is storming out of a gray-stoned building with a suitcase in one hand. Her mother, who is now a middle-aged woman with some gray hairs in her silky blonde hair, chases after her daughter, but stumbles on the red brick path. Distracted, the girl looks back at her mother. There is a small trail of blood gently trickling from the mother's temple. The mother looks up at her daughter, with a desperate look on her face, pleading:  
_Don't go. You are all what I have left._  
Hot, fresh tears spill out of the woman's eyes. The girl slowly turns around and puts down the suitcase. She crossed her arms and frowned. Her father always said tears were a sign of weakness. However, her expression softened slightly as she also recalled her mother telling her once that tears didn't mean just pain of the body, but of the soul. She remembered her mother crying once when she was pulling out pictures of their small family and looking at them fondly, before Raditz became so intent on training their daughter. 

The mother had pleaded countless times to the father to stop, but he was unmoved. He even went to extremes as to sneaking out late at night with the child in his arms and they'd go train in the nearby mountains. But her mother had been sneaky, too, always pushing their 'little girl' to be a great scholar. She would even hide her daughter in a closet so that Raditz wouldn't know that his daughter was studying. 

She couldn't bear it to see her mother or her father cry about each other one more time. It was always her, their own daughter, who was in the middle of their arguments, their pains, their sorrow, the center of their world, and yet, the only connection to the other's. They each had told her multiple times that they couldn't bear to separate. What would one do without the other? It was as if they couldn't live at all without each other or with each other. She suddenly hardened at the memories again. Her eyes turned cold as she turned and picked up her suitcase again. It was no use excusing that comforting lie of a 'normal family'.

"I'm leaving," she stated flatly, "Learn to be with him without me. I've helped you build your world of him and you for twenty years. Now it's time for you to do it yourself."  
Tears were suddenly blurring the girl's vision as she took to running, running as far as she could away from that place she had called home for so many years. It didn't matter where she was going now, just away. The mother stood up and continued to stare at her daughter's back as she jumped and began to fly away towards the mountains. Only until the sun had set and the distant figure of her daughter disappears did the mother finally turn to go back into the house.  
~  
"Stop! Stop!" screamed the dirty youth, holding up his arm for protection, "I give up!"

There is a pause of silence. The youth opens his eye only a bit, because it's swollen. He sees those eyes still scowling at him, causing him to cower again. They were terrifying alone, those eyes…but it was her fighting skills that confirmed it. Those eyes take another look at him and a cruel laugh rings through the early morning air.

"What's the matter, too much?" she taunts, "I'm not surprised. What a pitiful weakling you are…"

"Damn you!"

The youth struggles to stand up, leaning on the wall to support himself.

"You'll…"

The woman simply kicks his chin, causing him to crumple into a heap.

"No!" a girl screams, running to the youth's side, then to the woman, "How could you do this! He's my brother!"

The young woman simply strides past the girl to the other end of the alley. She does not care to bother the two any further. Besides, they had already caused her too much trouble. Her footsteps carry her past other bruised bodies of men who had been through her beatings.

"You tell your brother not to bother me again," says the woman, her eyes on the weeping girl, "Or both of you won't be so lucky next time."

She leaps to the air and lands on the nearest roof. The girl below full of rage and eyes spilling with angry tears, jumps to her feet.

"You'll pay for this!" she screams after the woman, "You'll regret what you did to my brother!!"

The girl's head hangs down, the more tears coming more steadily now. A slight breeze in the alley stirs her long, blonde hair. She was more than just mad at the woman. She was angry at the ones who tortured both her and brother, the ones who had threatened their lives repeatedly. She hated her mother for abandoning them alone in the world when they were barely teenagers. Then they had to live on their own. 

The girl sniffles as a flood of memories swirls in her head. There was their father, a proud colonel of the Red Ribbon Army…they had been so happy then. Then that dreaded day. The day the letter came, bearing the news of the death of their father. The girl still had it in her pocket. She takes it now, reading the yellowed, wrinkled paper.

__

To the Silver Family:

It is with great regret that I report the death of Colonel Silver during his service to the proud Red Ribbon Army. He was brutally murdered by a boy named Son Goku while on a special mission for the army. The supreme commander of the Red Ribbon Army salutes him for his bravery, and gives his greatest comfort to his family. Enclosed is…

The letters blur as the girl begins to cry again. She folds the paper and stuffs it in her pocket. Another breeze, a little sharper, makes her shiver. It was getting on night, when the gangs were even worse… The girl looks at her brother. At least he was breathing. But he looked past surviving another night on the streets, and the girl wasn't much for fighting skills, even if she was the older of them. She jerks her head to one end of the alley.

__

There has to be some shelter around here…

"Don't worry," she tells her brother, "I'll find us a way out of here…"

~  
Some days later, the same woman is standing on a small cliff overlooking a massive wasteland. Nothing lived there…not now, anyway. There had been a huge metropolis only a day before, before there was a report of a mysterious explosion that wiped out the whole city. The reports all said it was due to two beings from outer space. The woman knew only too well who they were. Her father had mentioned the two almost all the time when she was young, often a topic of interest at the dinner table. Even on the those terrifying nights in the mountains with her father, the woman had heard the stories of her heritage, the customs, the language…

She sighs. It pained her now that her hometown was gone, along with her parents. But it didn't erase the pain they had caused her… Her silent sufferings finally give to quiet tears.  
_It's all over now,_ she thinks to herself through her tears.

__

(No, it isn't!) shouts her human half within, _(I can't believe you're so stupid! You had a chance to save your parents… And what did you do? You and your stubborn pride kept you from coming home! You could've done something!)_

"I wouldn't have had a chance against Vegeta and Nappa," snaps the woman to her half, "I'm that weak…"

__

(God, you're modest AND stupid! Have you forgotten all the training Raditz gave you?)

"No, of course I haven't…How could I forget? After all those training sessions… And anyway, I would've either been killed like Tou-san (father) or sold into the slave trade."

__

(But you're a Saiyajin! A half-blood, but still a Saiyajin!)

"Big deal that I'm half, because they're pure! Even my own father, a pure blood…"

__

(So your father died. But you didn't. Now's the time to do something about it! Did your father waste all that training on a brat to have that brat do nothing? He trained you, because it meant something to him…)

"Yeah? Like what?"

__

(It meant that he saw something in a mudblood Saiyajin like you. He may have been a third-class Saiyajin, but he knew you had potential. That you could fight like him, be like him, overpower him…)

"I never wanted what he wanted! I never wanted what Kaa-san (mom) wanted! They had their dreams…"

The woman kicks a rock in frustration.

"…Why did they waste them on me?"

__

(…)

"To tell you the truth, I never even liked either of them. I loved them, but I never wanted to live their dreams. I always wanted something else, but did they listen? No… Now that they're gone, I can do what I want."

__

(I'd like to know what those plans are…)

"… I don't know anymore. Twenty-six years, and I still don't know what I want! I've got nowhere to go and no one to turn to… Tou-san has a brother, but he's probably dead. Kaa-san has a brother, too… Somebody by 'Dr. Gero'."

__

(Aren't you going to go look for him?)

"…Might as well. Nothing else to do around this rat hole."

The woman leaves, her back to the past.

__

Find Gero…

At least finding her uncle would mean something. All those years of living had hardened her. The only good thing that came out of it was that her fighting powers had significantly increased, due to the fact that almost every single day she had to fight for her life or die. But she had grown to hate all that was around her, especially lovers. It just made her want to blast them to oblivion like the Saiyajin she was. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. And she didn't. Because something, something always held her back. Something human. She always hated this thing with all her Saiyajin half, but embraced its sweetness at the same time with her human half. Every time it occurred, she could never figure out what it was. Maybe it was better that way. So as to not let her Saiyajin half stomp out this weakness. 

The woman flies off.  
~  
The woman outside the dirty building glances to her left and to her right. She doesn't want anyone to see her trying to break in. Even though she very easily could overwhelm the police, she doesn't want the hassle of it all. They were just annoying, the police. It is broad daylight, and the cops were as alert to crime as they were at night. After only a moment's hesitation, the woman finally makes a decision. With a small ball of energy, she easily takes down the metal door, taking its hinges with it. Stepping inside the building, the woman looks around. It is pitch black within.  
"Anyone here?"  
Silence.  
_Maybe it really was stupid to ask where Dr. Gero's lab was._  
A small noise within the darkness distracts her. Taking a hesitant step, she tries calling out again.  
"Who's in there?"  
Her hand grops for a light switch along the wall. Upon finding one, she flips it, causing light to illuminate the gloom. The woman gives a gasp. All sorts of machinery is sitting around, with various computers, crumpled sheets of crossed-out calculations lying on the floor, and machine parts scattered all over the place. But that wasn't what made the woman gasp. It is a person, with the top of his head screwed off lying completely naked on a table, with bits of long wire attached it what looked like his brains. And an equally nude girl is lying on another table nearby. The two looked like twins, their blank, icy-blue eyes staring at the ceiling. The woman's jaw drops.

"Oh my god…"

She walks to one of the tables, the one with the girl. Brushing away the lifeless girl's hair, another gasp escapes the woman's throat.

"It's you…that girl…"

Her head jerks to the other table.

"…and that idiot brother of yours…I saved you two from that gang…"

A wave of cold sweat covers her forehead. The woman suddenly feels dizzy, the room seeming to swirl around her. She leans on the girl's table, despite her uneasiness about it.

"I don't believe it… The twins."

She suddenly found herself falling to the floor, the world suddenly turning upside-down. There wasn't a thought she could remember before she blacked out.

__

The twins…My uncle turned them into jinounzingen…

~

The woman blinks. A bright light shines in her eyes, seeming to increase the dull pain in her head. Everything feels like lead, like her whole body had lost its function. After what seemed like an hour, the woman manages to turn her head. She realizes that she was a plain, white room. There was no other furniture, as far as she could tell, besides the bed she laid in.

__

Where the hell…

A creak of a door is heard. The woman forces her head the other way, a surge of new pain rippling in her head. She opens her mouth to scream, but nothing comes. Her throat is too dry for words, much less sounds. The image of an old man swims into view. Despite the pain, she scowls.

"Glad to see you're awake," he says, "I see that you saw my jinounzingen in the other room…"

She turns her head away, not caring to look at him. All she wants to is get well and get out.

"Care for anything to eat?" came his voice again.

The woman didn't answer him.

"A drink?"

A bottle of water is shoved in her hand. Somewhat reluctant, the woman struggles to sit up and drink it. She tries not to look at the man…not after what she had seen. The water did her good. After she done drinking, the dryness in her throat was gone and her headache lessened.

"Who are you?" says the man, "How did you find my lab?"

The woman finally turns her head towards him. She knew who he was.

"I am your niece, the daughter of your sister Murasaki Gero. Your sister is dead, and so if your brother-in-law, and I've come here."

The man's eyes widen at every word.

"My God!" he exclaims, "Mura is dead!?"

She nods matter-of-factly.

"…Thank god!"

Her jaw nearly drops again, but it hurts too much.

"You realize how long I've waited to hear that? Mura's dead!"

The man's eyes dance with joy, which sickens the woman.

"What kind of a sicko are you?" she asks him, frowning.

"Whatever you choose to call me, dear Mei (niece), it does not matter…Mura's dead! What a bother she was to me! Nothing made me more happy when she left the Red Ribbon Army, but I never thought she'd die! Especially with all those…"

The woman suddenly jumps up from the bed, her ki (energy) flaring up. Her anger is clearly visible at this man's indifference to his sister, her own mother.

"Happy!? Happy!?" she screams at him, her eyes full of fire, "What did you do to her, bastard!!"

"A tail," the man observes the appendage twitching angrily from the woman, deaf to the outburst, "Unusual for a human…"

The woman scowls.

"I'm not a human!" she yells at him, "And my mother didn't deserve a brother like you! I don't deserve a heartless uncle like you!"

She leaps across the room, but suddenly cries out when she lands. Falling to the floor, she clutches her leg. Sudden prickles of pain seem to light her leg on fire, sending her agony.

"I wouldn't advise that you excite yourself," says the man behind her coolly, "I had to inject some…"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY LEG!?!"

"…medication," he continues, "It was easier to inject it in your leg because I thought something like this would happen."

The woman jerks her head in his direction, her eyes full of accusation.

"You meant to keep me here?"

"Well, yes. Originally, I just thought you were some prostitute and I thought I'd keep you, but now I…"

"You didn't do anything, did you?"

"No. There's no point to sleeping love."

"Good. I would've put you through Hell…and I still will."

The woman tries to stand, but the pain only shoots up her leg, causing her to fall to the floor again. She tries a second time, but she feels arms suddenly grab her from behind. The arms lift her off the ground, leaving her legs dangling. She starts to fight, but Dr. Gero stops her.

"Don't try to struggle, Mei," he says with a fake smile, "Jinounzingen Juurokugou (Android 16) is capable of many things. He can kill you with one snap of your pretty neck. He also has enough explosives inside him to blow up the whole city."

She stops.

"Now, Juurokugou," he continues, rubbing his hands and walking past them, "Follow me."

The cyborg simply carries her out of the room, following his master, wordlessly. His prisoner looks around, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings, in case of escape. There wasn't much to see. All she can see was a long hall, with hot lights overhead, and a few doors. She wonders if any of them lead to an exit, or the lab she had seen. Remembering the twins, she shivers a little.

__

Will that happen to me?

Meanwhile, Dr. Gero is talking about things she doesn't bother to hear. All she actually listened to was when he started to talk about his sister.

"…Mura and I were always interested in creating artificial life. Even as children, we experimented, sometimes successful, but most of the time not. As adults, we formed our own research company devoted to the cause, but our funds were cut short. Fortunately, we found the Red Ribbon Army. Or rather, they found us. With the money they supplied us, we continued our projects. We managed to create fifteen cyborgs together, but as we were drawing the plans for a sixteenth one, Mura suddenly said she didn't want to be part of it anymore. I wasn't surprised. Mura was always a soft one, not wanting to destroy life. The only reason she had gone into the army was for the project. She wanted to create jinounzingen all right, but not for the purposes the Red Ribbon demanded. I myself loved the whole job, but she hated it all. Mura finally left, and I didn't hear from her since then. That is, until you came. When you woke up, I knew you had to be Mura's daughter…you two have the same eyes."

"So what's the point of creating jinounzingen anymore?" the woman demands, "The Red Ribbon Army was disbanded a long time ago!"

"I know that, and so does the whole world. The only thing the rest of the world doesn't know is that I plan to take over it myself."

"What? With your scraps of metal? Impossible!"

"Hey!"

Dr. Gero whirls around, his eyes flashing. He holds a syringe close to her face, a strange, clear liquid in it.

"My creations aren't scraps of metal, Mei! They are capable of anything, much more than you can imagine…"

At that point, he turns around to a large door off to the side. It slides open, and he descends down a dark, narrow staircase. The cyborg and woman follow him. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Dr. Gero flips a light switch, a single light flickering on. The woman looks around. More machinery, desk with scattered papers and blueprints, and…

"What is _that_?" she asks, her voice echoing in the underground lab, jerking her head towards a larger machine in the corner.

"This," says Dr. Gero, walking towards it, "Is my greatest creation…"

He flips another light switch, revealing a clear, glass dome with green liquid inside it. And in that was an ugly sort of larvae floating in it. The woman's senses were suddenly overwhelmed with energy. Evil energy.

"…This small larvae shall one day destroy Son Goku," continues the doctor, "And all of his friends as well. Unlike my other creations, this one is composed of the cells of Son Goku and all the other Z Senshi in the world, plus their enemies. From this, I have collected…"

The woman stops listening, suddenly lost in her own thoughts.

__

Son Goku!? My other uncle!? I thought he was dead! 

"…and so you see, Mei, you are very lucky," finishes Dr. Gero.

"Huh?" the woman snaps out her thoughts, "What'd you say?"

The doctor shakes his head.

"Mei, you weren't listening. I just said that you were very lucky to become part of my experiment with biological jinounzingen."

"WHAT!?"

"That's right, Mei," says Gero, a slow smile creeping across his lips, "My experiment."

"EXPERIMENT!?"

"Simple. I'm going to turn you into a jinounzingen."

There was no words to express what the woman's face showed at that moment. First, she felt shock, then anger.

"I AM NOT GOING TO BE PART OF YOUR EXPERIMENT, NIECE OR NOT!!"

She starts to struggle against the android again, but he only tightens his grip. Dr. Gero only smiles again and walks to her, hypodermic in hand. As he injects the liquid, he laughs a little, like all this is a joke.

"When you wake up, Mei, you'll be reborn. Born to hate Son Goku and the rest of his pathetic lot. I've seen your power, Mei, and from what my calculations tell me, you'll become the strongest of them all. You have the potential… You and Cell together shall make the perfect couple for world domination! And in the end, I shall finally be the victor!"

The woman only growls at him in answer. Her wild pink eyes tell him everything that's on her mind. As she fades back into unconsciousness, only one thought sweeps across her mind.

__

Kill Gero…

~


	2. Return of Saturn

"You're mission is as clear as crystal!" said Gero, pacing back and forth and eyeing his almost finished piece of work, "To destroy all of the Z Senshi and to be the Mate of Cell. You have had been installed with the state-of-the-art features, almost as powerful, if not equal, to Cell himself. You have hate now…hate for the Z Senshi and a love for evil. You have a desire for Cell. You belong to him now. There is now alternative to the plan I have for you."

The "scientist" paused a moment to let this sink in. Sotari would've loved to kill him right there and then, but, of course, she was too weak to do so. All she could do was screw her face up in a scowl. Gero smiled.

"See, _mei_? The hate for the Z Senshi is already beginning to take effect. You're powers are increasing faster than expected."

He checked a machine behind him. It was a printer, spitting out charts, graphs, and statistics about Sotari's condition on a continuing piece of paper. The length was so long that it was actually folding itself into a neatly piled stack on the floor. Gero pushed a green button. A groan sounded within the deep contents of the machine, the printer stopping the trail of paper, as if relieved of its duty for a few, precious moments. Sotari envied the machine. She was jealous of its short breaks from duty to Gero. At least it wasn't constantly reminded of a mission she had never wanted in the first place. It had no freedom, but what it had was a lot more than Sotari had ever wanted in the past few weeks…or was it months? She couldn't tell. Not anymore… How could she tell time while trapped in a tank filled with floating DNA, its tubes connected to her limbs, including the disturbing Saiyajin tail. The ingredients to what Gero told her would make her more powerful were injecting themselves into her veins and into her bloodstream.

__

I hate this machine…

Ever since that first day… The first day she had met Gero, her supposed Oji-san, her mother's brother. He had declared her "perfect" for an experiment. An experiment only that a mad scientist could create: To make a half Saiyajin into a biological jinounzingen. He had injected her with some sort of fluid, she remembered. All had gone black and when she woke up, she was floating inside this damned machine, tubes in her arms and everything. At first, she tried breaking out of the tank. If this had been any other occasion, Sotari could've done so, but in the condition she was in, she was too weak to even make a sound against the glass. The effort just to kick it would take out most of her energy, since her body was already fighting the foreign substances invading her body…

__

What anger he must possess to go this far… What madness had Son Goku done to drive him to do this?

"You are doing well, _mei_," cut in the dreaded voice, rudely interrupting her train of thought, "You should be ready for testing anytime soon."

Sotari scowled again.

__

I am not a test subject!

"I shall check up on you in the morning," continued _Oji-san_, taking a step towards the door, "Good-night, _mei_…"

__

Like I need anything from you anymore…

~

Here I am, left to my own thoughts at least. I wouldn't call it a freedom, though, for I am monitored by the damn machines every moment of every day. No privacy or peace in this hell, that's for sure. I'm surprised he hasn't invented a mechanism to read my mind, too. My face screws up in a wince when I try to move, the pain of the tubes and their alien things stinging my insides. I want to scream so badly, not caring about who hears me…Just somebody. But the only one who would is that…creature…floating in the watery contents of a machine unlike the one I'm in across the room from me. I'm disgusted. Oji-san could've done a better job in picking a better mate for me, even if I didn't want one. Right now, it is but a mere larvae of what it is to become. I have looked upon that creature every night, wondering to myself what it'll look like when it fully matures. I have been told it contains the cells of all the Z Senshi and their enemies…Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, King Kold, Freiza, Tienshinhan, Yamcha, Kuririn... Will it look like any one of them? Or maybe a sick mixture of them all? What?

"I don't see any use of this creature."

I look at the creature again and scowl.

"Can you hear me over there!?"

I pause. Am I being stupid? Like I actually expect this thing to answer me…

"I hate you, you know!? I don't even know what you're supposed to be called, but I hate you!! You're the one who caused my uncle to use me for his experiment! I'm going to be your mate!"

I jerk my face away from the thing, earning another few stings from the tubes in my sudden movement.

"I hate you so badly…"

I suddenly feel a wetness in my eyes.

"What…!?"

Am I crying tears? How can that be possible?

Despite the pain, my hand rushes up to my eyes. I pull it away from my face when I realize the truth.

"How the hell…? This whole tank is filled with liquid! How can this be?"

I look towards the larvae again, as if expecting an answer from it.

"…but of course…"

I shiver, despite the warm temperature of the DNA water. How strange. The actual feeling of tears when I'm practically floating in it… Unless…

You're ki powers are getting stronger, aren't they?

"Hell…?"

My head jerks towards the source. It sounded like it had come from the creature.

"How can you do telepathy? You are nothing now! Nothing but…"

…a larvae? answered the voice, Yes, I am but a mere fraction of my true form, but nevertheless, I am perfect.

"Perfect for Gero's needs! Why am I included in this bargain!?"

You, too, are perfect. You may not know it, but you and I are very much alike.

I shot another dirty look.

"How so? You're only a stinking bastard spawn of the Z Senshi and Freiza's family, you hear me! At least my family wasn't as…"

No, Sotari, cut in the voice, Your family is almost as every bit as bad as mine. I have sensed it, in my own time, about you. Ever since you came here, I have had this fascination with you and your past…using my psychic senses to their full extent in probing your memories. (Mind you, I did this very gently, so as to not hurt you.) Gero had never mentioned a mate was to be for me. I never thought I'd need one, since I DO have some of Piccolo's cells after all…

"But you do now, at the expense of my life!"

Not so entirely, Sotari-san…

"Oh hell with you! I don't care!"

I struggle with my body, urging it try and turn my back on this creature. Agony ripples like waves all over, turning my insides inside-out. I ignore this with great effort, still attempting to force my body to move. The larvae bastard watches me with interest. He seemed amused at my lame strainings. In the end, m y bonds restrain me, winning yet another battle of strength. Wait till I finally break out of this damned machine and destroy it… I give up and resume my normal position, exhausted from my fruitless efforts. My focus shift towards the creature again. I blink my eyes in disbelief. Was it laughing at me? A warmth creeps across my cheeks in anger and embarrassment.

"What the hell you laughing at, bastard child?" I spat at him, my voice taking on an icy steely tone.

I don't see what is the point of you trying to escape from here, chuckled the larvae,Don't you see you can't escape your destiny?

"What destiny? I was robbed of it before I could do anything with it!!"

You belong to me now, Sotari, there is nothing you can do.

My face turns away from him. More wetness springs to my eyes as I put my hands to my face. Pain is pounding in me now, but I don't care.

"Oh dear god…"

The tears spill out of my eyes, mixing with the DNA. My thoughts curse like river with no course as I panic over my fate.

"God, oh god, this can't be…This isn't my destiny, I know it! I am not meant to be the mate of something so cruel! I can't be just so helpless like this… Why, why, why!?!?"

I feel a sudden anger beginning to spark within me. WHY ME, I ask, WHY ME. The fire in my chest is brewing, smoking, bursting… I clench my fists as the steady stream of salty tears drip slide down my face. I don't want this anger to die. My words repeat themselves like a broken record… I hardly even know what I'm saying.

"Whywhywhywhywhy!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

The feeling inside me soars, the fire of personal hell swelling and threatening explosion. I close my eyes in utter fury as I let loose a scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The fire bursts. My skin is hot and icy at the same time, the Saiyajin veins of my inner power flowing with frenzy, my heart rate increasing to match the beating of my rage… I hear the cracks of glass, the ruptures of bubbles, the popping of tubes… The ground seems to shake in fear of my wrath. I care not about the creature watching me. I would hardly doubt that he was deeply amused at this.

"AAAAAAAKUUUUUUMMMAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

~

Gero woke with a start. Rushing to his feet, he hastily put on his slippers and began running towards the secret lab. He had heard an explosion come from there.

"It had better not be one of the machines, those damn things cost so much to…"

He choked on his words as he stopped, skidding his heels along the cold floor.

"Do my eyes deceive me!?"

Sotari was there, just not in her tank. In fact, she was hovering above the remains of the tank, DNA fluid flowing freely and wetting the floor. Machine parts lay scattered across the flow, useless now. Sotari herself was---changed. A purplish-black, flame-like aura was surrounding her body, sending off excess heat towards Gero. He drew back, amazed at the amount of tepidity she was giving off. He watched with interest as the nearby printer began to melt. However, what really interested him now was something more sinister and, perhaps, more terrifying to the human eye. For there, waving, almost lazily at the doctor, was tail. Not the furry, silky tail of the Saiyajin race, but an evil form of purple with black spots, equipped with an innocent-looking siphon on the end. Gero smiled.

__

"Mei!!" he called out to her, spreading his arms in greeting, "You have done it! Well done!"

The woman called Sotari looked at him, her eyes full of hatred. Gero couldn't help but shiver slightly. The eyes themselves weren't normal anymore. The pupils seemed to have vanished, but the fierce pink color remained the same.

"S-should we begin testing right away?" asked Gero a little timidly.

Sotari stared at him, the cold-hot flames around here flaring up a bit ever so slightly…

"Er…" said Gero, backing away even more, "Or morning…Whatever's comfortable with you…"

"There is nothing to say, Gero," replied the woman, "I am no longer any test subject of yours…"

__

"Nani (what)…?"

The woman splayed her hands in front of her, her face devoid of any emotion.

__

"Shinei…" (die)

A small, crackling ball of purple energy formed at the end of her fingertips.

"Kogasuu…"

The color of the ball morphed to a firey, orange-red. Gero took to his heels. Sotari fired.

"…FUKUSHUU!!!!"

~

__

The wind whistles past my ears as I kick up my speed. I want to get as far away from that hell as much as possible. I look back and smirk at my own handiwork. The lab is spurting out flames like crazy. Like a living hell of its own. I stop momentarily on top of mountain to look. My smirk increases as I spot falling debris plunging towards the bottom of the gorge on the side of the lab.

"Pitiful…"

I turn my back on the past and look up towards the starry-filled sky. My mouth hangs open despite myself. I haven't seen this sight in so long. I shut my trap suddenly, remembering my mission.

"Damn it, not now…" my human parts seem to whisper.

(Do I have to? Gero is most likely dead now, so why should I carry out his revenge? I am probably the most powerful being on Earth, so why? There is no need…)

I shake my head at the thought.

"Perhaps there's more to this," I tell myself, "Maybe I want to kill the Z Senshi for another purpose…"

(Another reason to kill them? Masaka! No bloody way! What crazy question is that!?)

"I…I feel like I'm supposed to…"

(Of course you're supposed, too, baka!!! Gero instilled that in your memory bank! But he's dead now, so you're free to live!!!)

"No, I'm not… I am not free. I was never free of this, even before Gero even took me in."

(What the bloody hell do you mean!?)

"When I came here, I had nothing. When I was there I had nothing. And now I have nothing…Except for the mission to kill the Z Senshi."

(You can find something!!!)

"Shut up," I snap at my human half, "You just shut your fucking trap and leave me alone! It was you that wanted to find Gero in the first place! You were the one who got me into this whole thing in the first place!"

(…)

"I don't know why I feel I must go find the Z Senshi. Hell, when I find them, I probably don't want to kill them, but who knows!? I don't care!"

I take to the sky again, in a hot and angered mood. But I can't help but wonder…

"…will it be of mine or Gero's will that kills them all…?"

~

It was hours now since Sotari left. The secret part of the lab hadn't been destroyed, though, strangely enough. The automatic water sprinkler system had seen to that. Also, unbeknownst to Sotari, Cell's life support machine had been fireproof. However, Gero was not, but due to some astounding miracle, he was alive. Right now, he was in a life support machine of his own, lying down on a pallet with a metal half-tube covering most of his body. All sorts of odd machines and medications were being applied to him. Gero looked to his side to see his rescuer.

"Ahh, Juuquu-gou," he said in a voice no louder than a whisper, "…I see that your fire-proof design is definitely in working order…I can't appreciate your devotion to me enough…"

He coughed. His rescuer, a fat Chinese-looking man, blinked and unexpectedly made a bow towards his creator.

"You are still unwell, master. Your burns have made your condition to a very critical point. Skin grafting is impossible at this point…"

"No matter," coughed Gero, "You know what to do then."

Juuquu-gou didn't even blink. He bowed again.

"Yes, Master Gero, I know."

"You have all the procedures carefully noted in your memory bank? No viruses? No questions?"

"No, master, none at all. It is without question that I will be able to do the operation quite successfully. You will survive the treatment, I am sure. What model do you will to be?"

Gero closed his eyes in deep thought.

"I could be a biological one," he mused to himself, "But for an old man like me that would be most tedious and difficult. I was surprised that Sotari even survived the process…Very well…I wish to of the same model as you, Juuquu-gou. Model 13…"

Juuquu-gou smiled.

"The name _Jinounzingen Nijuu-gou _(Android 20)suits you?"

"Indeed…"

Gero turned his head the other way, so as to not let Juuquu-gou see his self-satisfying smirk.

"Oh, _mei,_" he grinned insanely, "_Jinounzingen Nijuuni _(Android 21)_…_ I told you… It isn't over yet…"

~


	3. Rising

Summary: An old enemy of Kami's rises from the dead zone and has plans to invade Earth and murder Kami. The Z Senshi are in the way, of course, to ruin his plans, but a mysterious woman shows up with quite different intentions... Without Goku and Vegeta around, what are the Z Senshi to do? What's to become of Piccolo?

Notes: So sorry if my little use of Japanese annoys you...or if I don't get any of it right (I'm still not very sure if adjectives come before or after the verb...). Especially with the attacks and all, but I can't help but throw in a bit of Japanese...

~

Billions of stars cast pinpricks of light into the infinite reaches of the far heavens. They all fought against the endless darkness, for at any possible moment, the darkness could overcome their brilliant radiance. Some of the stars seemed to flicker every now and then, as if they themselves knew that one day, their life span was to end, as the whole universe would one day. A threat of that end appeared out of Earth's moon's enormous shadow, its smooth surface glinting in the light of the sun. What evil that was contained in there, hardly anyone on Earth knew. 

Inside the spaceship, a large, shadow bends over a huge, lighted control panel. Squeaks, squeals, and even some odd singing rang from the depths of the antique piece of machinery. Behind him, a group of shadowed shapes stood, waiting patiently for a command from their master. One of the smaller figures stepped forward, towards a light cast from a single bulb that managed to pierce the darkness. The light shone on the small one, revealing what might be considered surprising. It was a girl. Black hair tied into pigtails framed her pale face set with ocean-blue eyes. Her outfit was a simply navy blue T-shirt and sweats. The only frivolous item was a cord with two crystals.

"Can you fix it?" She asked the larger figure in an annoyed and commanding voice.

Irritated at the interruption, the figure turned towards an equally annoyed girl, the light illuminated his features. His skin was rich yellow, with spots of even paler yellow dotting the sides of his bald head. Pointed ears twitched in annoyance.

"Of course I can," he said, with some sarcasm in his voice, "This spaceship will get us all the way back to Namek if you like."

"But can you fix it?" the girl persisted, brushing a few loose strands of hair from her face.

"Sure, sure," came his reply as he turned back to his work, "We still be ontime, if that's what you mean. Then..."

He paused a moment and smiled to himself.

"...Then, Kami-sama will finally pay for what he has done..."

~

It was a beautiful day at Kami's Lookout. A perfect hue of blue took the sky, with sparse clouds and a slight breeze stirring the flowers of Mr. Popo's garden. The temperature was an ideal tepidity; warm, but comfortable. One of the two residents of the lookout was caring for his garden. Mr. Popo, garden tools at his side, knelt down by his box of pansies. Watering can in hand, he proceeded to speak to his precious flowers, as if each could ever talk back to him

"Oheyo (good morning)," Mr. Popo's lovelies," he cooed to them, "Would you like some water?"

There was a small silence.

"All right, then," he started up again, "Mr. Popo will give you some."

He tilted the watering can. A familiar voice interrupted his quiet activity.

"How are the flowers today, Mr. Popo?" inquired Kami, the other occupant of the lookout, "Are they well?"

"Oh, they are wonderful," replied Mr. Popo.

"That's..." began Kami, then suddenly nearly collapsed.

Kami's sentence drifted off as a queer expression overtook his face. Beads of sweat suddenly appeared on the sides of his head as his features took on a tone of fear. His knees felt shaky, as if they had abruptly lost their ability to function. Suddenly weak, Kami leaned on his staff, breathing heavily.

"Oh my god..." he wheezed.

Mr. Popo, confused, began to stand up.

"Kami, are you all right? Is it Piccolo?" he questioned.

Concern was written all over the genie's face, but Kami just kept saying things to himself, deaf to Mr. Popo's words.

"I thought he was gone..." he panted again, "Dead...I destroyed that ship..."

"Gone? Who is gone? Who is dead? What ship?" inquired Mr. Popo, getting a little desperate.

He reached a pudgy hand to his friend, but Kami turned away from him.

"...Demon..."

Kami nearly choked on the very word. Mr. Popo drew back his hand, but his worry only increased.

"When I was young..."

Kami drew himself up. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. After several minutes, he turned to Mr. Popo. His breathing was a still a little ragged, but at least he wasn't sweating anymore.

"Sorry, Mr. Popo," Kami apologized, "It's just that...well, I might as well tell you what's going on. What is coming is another evil. Maybe not as great a threat as the Saiyajins taking over the universe, but the intent is the same. He..."

The elderly Namek shivered slightly.

"…He plans to take over Earth for a martial arts school."

Mr. Popo blinked.

"Is that it?"

Kami nearly fell down. Recovering quickly, he shook his head vigorously.

"No! You don't understand!"

"Mr. Popo thought this had to do with a great evil approaching Earth."

His friend nearly fell down again.

"It does! Listen, you know that when I was a very young boy, I had to escape to

Earth in a spaceship from that disaster on Planet Namek. Well, on the way here, I met a demon. He had a whole fleet of ships and fighters just waiting to conquer Namek for Freiza. Being the evil demon he was, the demon liked above all things was torture. In taking over Namek, like all other planets he had acquired before, he planned to kill the population slowly, making sure that all died a very gradual, painful death. By whatever method he chose, each death served as part of a favorite hobby. When I was captured, he actually gave me a tour of his latest machines...and had a young girl murdered before my very eyes. It was horrible...that girl..."

The old Namek flinched at the flashback. Whatever vision he was remembering, Mr. Popo did not feel he should ask.

__

It's no wonder Kami-sama never talks of his past...

"He was truly something of a devil incarnate...taking innocent lives and moving on to the next planet without a care, continued Kami, his teeth clenched with anger, "That...that..."

Kami breathed a sigh of quiet rage. 

He had to finish his story.

"…Well, I managed to create dead zone, and his entire army were all sucked in...or so I thought at the time. I escaped, of course, and I came here... For all those years afterwards, I never forgot that experience. That demon and his sick ideas..."

Mr. Popo was silent, taking it all in.

"But what is the school itself for?" he asked.

Kami said to him: "The martial arts school was a duty given to him by some past ancestor of Freiza's. I imagine he wanted good warriors to work for him with the Saiyajins."

His listener's eyes widened.

"So...we call on the Z Senshi?" 

"Yes, Mr. Popo. At this point, it is imperative that we do just that. It is a terrible time for this happen. I have no knowledge of where Goku or Vegeta may be, for I've no news of them since of the fight with Freiza on Namek. Vegeta, I believe, went off somewhere away from Earth to train, so there is no way we can find him... Besides, I don't truly believe Vegeta could be on our side anyway. But there is still Tienshinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Kuririn, Gohan, and Piccolo left. I sense their powers have significantly increased since some of them returned from Namek, but I don't know if it'll be enough..." 

Kami suddenly trailed off from his sentence again. He gave a sudden groan as he clutched his heart. Mr. Popo caught Kami by the arm as Kami dropped his staff, which fell on the tiled floor with a clatter. 

"Kami-sama!" yelled Mr. Popo. "I'm...I'm all right," said Kami, his voice a little weak as he struggled for support, "But, I felt...I felt this sting of pain in my heart..." 

"Nan desu ka (what is it)?" 

"An evil..." 

"Was it the demon?" 

"No...here...on Earth." 

"...Earth!?... But...but how!?" 

"Mr. Popo, I simply don't know. Where ever this newer evil is, I hope it does not intend to attack now, for we've already got enough problems..." 

~

Throughout the Earth, Kami sent a telepathic message to all the Z Senshi. 

__

Come to the Lookout at once, Z Senshi! There is a new evil approaching Earth! 

The Z Senshi need not asking twice. They all immediately picked it up and dropped whatever what they were doing to go. 

Kuririn was tossing Muten Roshi's ninety pounds worth of porn magazines into a fire when he heard the message. Annoyed, Kuririn just threw the remaining sixty pounds of porn at Roshi from the thirty he had already burned. Stupefied, Roshi stumbled backward, sat in the fire, leapt up screaming like Britney Spears, and waved his arms and legs in the air as all the magazines went flying all over the place. He actually hovered for a few seconds, but he realized that his arms were getting all cut up from the magazine pages. And that his shorts were on fire. So Roshi ran outside, but tripped over Turtle and landed on Yamcha. Yamcha, of course, screamed at Roshi touching him and went flying after Kuririn, begging him to hide him from Roshi. Roshi, of course, didn't care, but ran into the ocean still yelling his head off, but as soon as he ran waist-deep in the water, a huge jellyfish stung him.... 

With Gohan, and Piccolo, Chi Chi smacked Piccolo on the head with a frying pan for making her spill milk all over the front of her dress. Chi Chi then forbade Gohan to go with Piccolo, who flew off without waiting for him, so Gohan was left to argue with his mother. By the time Gohan managed to convince his mom that he wasn't coming home maimed or mutilated ("Kaa-san, you've been reading too many missing children stories!"), Piccolo was well on his way to Kami's. 

In fact, as he was flying over a forest, something a little more sinister happened. Located in the heart of the forest was a waterfall. The waterfall flowed into a small pond, which turned into a stream. By itself, the place looked very peaceful. However, if one looked hard enough, one could spot the entrance of a cave behind the waterfall. Not a very big cave, but it had ample enough space for a few people. The inside of the cave was dim and cold, but dry. In the deepest, darkest corner of the cave, something stirred. The something lifted her head, her icy eyes searching the shadows. She tilted her head slightly. 

__

Have I heard correctly? 

She closed her eyes and focused. What was that she had just heard? A telepathy of some kind, no doubt. It mentioned the Z Senshi... Her eyes snapped open. 

"Of course," she scolded herself, "How could I be so stupid? It's them..." 

The woman got up and walked out of the cave, her concentration graver and a renewed fighting spirit. 

"Finally..." she said, as she stood in the sunlight, "The time has come..." 

Her eyes suddenly blinked as the woman sensed a ki power. She saw Piccolo, his white cape flapping in the wind and his eyes full of determination. The woman nearly smirked at the sight. 

"Piccolo," she said, sounding out the name she had been taught to memorize, "Can I kill you now?" 

Only half of her wanted to do just that. That half hated the Z Senshi and embraced the idea of murder. The other half, however, was infuriated she should have to kill people she had never even met. This half obviously possessed some other ideas. She sighed with exasperation at the upcoming prospect.

"What the hell am I doing," she said to herself as she rose in the air to

follow Piccolo, "I'm not anyone's toy..."

She gritted her teeth at the image of her commander, her tormentor really.

"...Oji-san (uncle)," she continued, her tone becoming hateful, "Bastard..."

She flew on for a few moments, her eyes beginning to burn with the stinging tears of silent rage.

You're the one I hate," she spat at no one, "Why can't I just kill you instead of them?"

Nothing answered. Well, almost nothing.

__

(Do you mean yourself or your tormentor?)

The woman's anger fluctuated again. It enraged her that her human side was talking to her again.

"Shut up, you," she snapped at her human half, "Can't you leave me alone?"

*You have to do this* echoed a different, but all-too familiar voice in her head, *It is your mission; your destiny*

She scowled.

"What am I to do when I'm done?" she asked the mechanical voice in her head.

*Then you are free*

"Liar," she spat angrily, "I'm never going to be free from this... Next, you'll be having me conquering the world for you, maybe even the universe!"

*The universe isn't a bad idea, mei (niece)...*

"That's not the point!"

*In spite of the way you were mocking me, you do as I say...*

"It's only because..."

She trailed off. Why was she doing this?

__

DAMN IT!!! Why does he make me question my existence? How does he do it? Is it just because he made my mind...or is it still mine, only...different? Ancient damnation!! I never used to be like this... So vulnerable...So pitiful!

"Because I want to," she finally said, sounding out every hateful syllable, "...Are you happy now?"

*Perhaps...perhaps*

~

Kami gripped his staff tightly as he watched a silvery ship land on the tiled floor of the Lookout. Little semicircles from his nails cut into the wooden staff, for he was that hateful. He didn't need a psychic to tell him who was in that ship. With a clunk, the ship gave a loud groan, and a little coil thing sprung off the side. A door slid open, a light shining from the entrance. The yellow demon appeared and walked towards Kami and Mr. Popo, a wide smirk slapped on his face. As soon as he stood a little ways from them, a group of aliens followed, progressing from the ship in single file. 

Then they lined up behind their master according to rank, their attention on high alert. There were six of them in all: the demon, of course, as their leader. The girl, too, who was standing at the right end of the line, which indicated she was the best of the other four. 

Second to her, there was a tall, pink alien named Colipoc. He had long, smooth golden hair with pointy ears. His outfit mainly consisted of a bulky body suit and boots, with earrings to match. A rat-like tail twitched behind him. 

Next to him was Colipoc's purple counterpart, Ukugo, who was his sister with short, black, spiky hair. Her outfit was similar except that she donned spandex leggings and that her armor was smaller. 

After Ukugo was Eden, less than a head shorter than Colipoc, but a little larger. His skin was a light peach, with a small widow's peak framing his hairline. The silky, white hair was a short, chin-length cut, and his fighting gi a minty green and yellow shirt, tied with a yellow belt. 

Second to last was another boy, by the name of Arden, who was about Eden's height, but was slightly less built and skinnier. He was of the same alien breed as Eden, but had shiny blonde hair that was braided back into a long queue (braid). His narrow blue eyes were like slits, which didn't exactly flatter his oval-shaped face. 

The weakest of them all was Nhago, who was about a head shorter than Colipoc, and thinner. She was three-quarters human, so she looked relatively normal with her short brown hair and feminine features. However, her alien side was easily revealed through a growth that resembled something like dirty mercury growing on the right side of her face. It started right where her eyebrow should've been, spread to temple and her cheekbone, and down the side of her cheek to end at near her chin. One of her eyes was maroon, while the other took a shade of navy blue. Nhago, who hated wearing anything that was a gi or had armor on it, wore a dark red, quarter-sleeved shirt with leather pants that reached past the ankles. She also sported some light makeup and a pair of boots. 

The demon gazed at Kami and spoke: "Oheyo (good morning), Kami-sama, 'old friend'. It's been a long time." 

Kami gritted his teeth, not bothering to answer. A drop of sweat slid down the side of his face. 

His old enemy chuckled. 

"You haven't changed a bit, haven't you," he said, "A fine fighter when you were young... You would've made a good student of mine if you had the brains to join me." 

"Not bloody likely," replied Kami, finally addressing him, "You were working for Freiza's family, probably the most evil beings in the universe! I would've never..." 

"Nameks! Hell with the lot of them, they're so stubborn," interrupted the demon, dismissing Kami with a wave of his clawed hand, then added unexpectedly, "Why did destroy my entire fleet, Kami-sama?" 

The old Namekian narrowed his eyes. "I couldn't let you torture my people, like you did to that girl, you monster. I would've rather died than let you harm any one of them!" 

"Such loyalty," commented the demon with a shake of his head, "What a pity...that is good quality in a warrior....You remember the girl?" 

"Yes... I remember." A mixed look of rage and sickness came across Kami's face. 

The demon smiled with genuine enjoyment. "You remember how she died, Kami-sama?" "Yes." "How sad that you couldn't save her, Kami-sama…"

"Yes..." Kami's features hardened, pure hatred for this demon becoming more and more apparent. 

"Did you ever care for her?"

At this point, Kami practically exploded. White ki flowed from him and formed an orb around him. He tossed his staff aside and gripped his fists tight, ready for battle. The demon folded his arms and grinned in amusement. A battle cry flew from Kami's lips as he charged at his tormentor, who coolly moved to one side so that the old Namekian was charging at the group of students instead. 

They scattered, but the head girl stayed, and drew a sword from her side. No emotion was expressed as she gripped the sword tightly. Kami was in front of her now. A movement from her, a flash of light, and it was over. The old guardian was past her now, still clutching his staff. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes betrayed his astonishment as he stared at his staff, which was sliced in half. A drop of blood splashed on his withered hand, causing him to put a hand to his face. The source was a clean cut into the green flesh from near his ear across to near his chin on the left side of his face. A small gasp escaped Kami's lips as he turned around in amazement to gaze at the girl, who calmly put her sword back into its sheath. A small cut had been made under her eye, but it was too small for anyone to notice. 

"Pretty good," she said plainly, not looking at him, "for an old Namekian." 

"Yes," replied Kami, who was still in shock, "and you..." 

"...Are the best of the best," finished the demon, who came forward and patted the girl on the head, "Only eight years old and already the most powerful child student of any pupil I've ever trained..." 

His bare chest puffed out with pride. As he spoke again, a nostalgic look came across his eyes as he stroked the girl's hair. 

"I found her as an infant, abandoned, on some drifting space colony of Earth's. That hunk of metal was headed for a black hole, so I took her with me to train. Ever since she's been under my care, and look what's happened. It's good..." 

He paused and looked at the girl, pausing in mid-stroke on the girl. The girl's eyes hardened like ice. 

"...For a human, that is." 

The girl took a step forward, brushing away her sensei's hand. She continued to walk forward, and though only Mr. Popo saw it, her eyes glittered with hatred as she spoke, her voice full of resentment. 

"Stop trying to flatter me, bakayarou (fool, idiot, stupid...). It's no use trying to get me to kill Kami for you." 

Her back remained to face them, as the demon smiled and shook his head. 

"That girl," he said to Kami, who was still examining his wound, "Don't you mind her much, Kami-sama. She's just in one of her moods. She'll come around eventually to kill you..." 

Kami remained in silence, his eyes fixed on the girl's back. 

__

Who is she? Where did all that power come from? Is she really human? 

"Come now, Kami-sama, we should fight," cut in the demon's voice, "We'll start by killing off your fat friend here..." 

The demon started to step towards Mr. Popo, but a huge, silvery blade of an ebony scythe met him. He backed up, his eyes wide. 

"Hell?" he started, as his focus shifted from the blade to its owner, "What's this?" 

A woman stood before him, in a fighter's stance, held the scythe in hand. Long, flowing hair draped over her shoulders, giving the impression that she was younger than what she really was. Pink eyes stared at the demon, their cat-like shape adding to an evil nature. Her all-black outfit was simple, but it showed off her elegant figure. A furry belt was the only superficial item to the whole thing. 

"Don't even try," she warned the demon, "Unless you want to end up in pieces." 

Finally taking in his attacker's appearance, the demon only smiled. 

"Why would a little girl like you walk around with a flashy scythe like this," he teased, "With such threats, too. Is it too heavy for you, honey? You know how to handle it?" 

He tried to take a hold of the handle, but the woman thrust the blade back next to throat. 

"I know perfectly well how to handle this, bakayarou," she said, her voice cold, "So would you just leave with your useless lot you call fighters in your poor excuse for a ship and leave the old Namekian and plump genie to me. Or I'll kill you and everyone else here without a second thought." 

"Oh, come now," responded the demon, trying to maintain good humor, but that little drop of sweat running down the side of his face revealed his nervous condition, 

"Don't insult me, now, girl. You must be at least sixteen or seventeen, and you can't really mean that, could you?" 

"Twenty-six," she corrected, "And I mean every word I said. Now go, before I change my mind and destroy all of you now!" 

"Oh, please, Onna (woman)," pleaded the demon, more drops of sweat appearing, "You don't want to kill the Namekian and the genie for us, do you? I mean, it would be awfully nice of you, but it'd also be very cruel to me. I've carried this revenge in me for years and years, and I want to make sure the deed is done by both me and my..." 

"I don't care what you're here for," snapped the woman, the blade coming even closer to slitting his throat, "You leave, or you die. Is that complicated for your puny mind to comprehend?" 

"No, no...it's not that. It's just that..." 

The demon's eyes desperately wandered around. His pupils, Mr. Popo, and Kami were standing in a ring around the two, waiting for something to happen. All eyes were on them, but all seemed afraid of the woman, her threats, and especially that huge staff of hers. Four of students badly yearned to run away, not caring what their master might do to them for abandoning him, but they were rooted to the spot they were standing on. Kami was too flabbergasted to take it all in at once, as was also Mr. Popo. All were curious, though, of what the demon would do. 

The demon gazed at each of his student's faces, hoping for some sort of answer from them. None suggested anything. However, as the demon's black eyes passed over Nhago, the other girl, his prize pupil, came back. She immediately assessed the situation, but made no comment. Nevertheless, she smiled very, very slightly, something she hadn't done in a long time. It was all very understandable to her, and was secretly grateful to the mysterious woman for this. 

__

Now this insanity can finally end... she thought. 

The demon's eyes came back to the girl, hopeful that his head student would think of something. The girl's small smile automatically disappeared. She placed a hand over her hip and frowned. 

"What do you want, fool?" she asked him, her resentful voice beset with irritation. 

"Help me," choked her master, as the woman stood before, waiting for the appropriate moment to strike. 

"Why should I?" 

"I am your master, your caretaker, I at least deserve some payback from you, brat!" 

"So? Who cares? None of your other students have done anything, have they?" 

"But they didn't try and leave me like you! At least they are loyal to what I teach! Not like you...You defy me in every way you can, little baikin (germ)!" 

"Because I am not as blind and stupid as they are to what you truly are." 

Nhago jerked her head at the girl, her face twisted in anger. Her eyes flashed with fury as a flush of pink surfaced on her face. She shook her fist at the girl, her manicured nails digging deep into her lotioned skin. 

"You baka (stupid, fool, idiot...)!" she yelled the girl, who didn't even flinch, "You dare to call me ignorant!? Sensei (teacher) is not a fool! You're the one who is blind! Baka na (stupid)! You don't deserve to be the best!!" 

The girl's cold eyes gazed into Nhago's own mismatched ones. 

"And you do?" she replied coolly, "Like you can actually try to scratch me with those painted nails, Nhago..." 

"Why, you..." 

Nhago charged at the girl, a punch aimed her lips, but the girl was faster. She went low at the last second, and delivered a hard elbow strike to Nhago's stomach. The would-be-attacker groaned heavily and fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. Trickles of blood and saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth. The girl looked down and smirked. Nhago gazed up at her, her fiery eyes furious. 

"Bitch," she managed to say, but the girl turned her back to her. 

"Like I care," she replied, then added, "Slut."

~ 

While that little spat was occurring, the demon watched his two students fight it out. It seemed particularly interesting that it was a contest of the strongest and the weakest of his pupils. This suddenly gave him an idea. As soon as Nhago finally struggled to recover from the assault, he had formulated a plan in his head. 

"Onna," started the demon, waving his hands in the air, trying to act friendly. 

"What?" asked the woman, who had hardly moved during the whole thing. 

"Why don't we have a contest?" 

"…Go on." 

"You fight each of my students and me, one at a time. If you manage to defeat all of us, and me, then we'll leave you to the Namekian and genie. But if you lose, you have to promise to beat it and leave us alone." 

The woman was silent for a few seconds. She withdrew her scythe slightly, but only enough for the demon to breathe easier. This was a sign of her consent. 

"I will accept," she said as soon as the demon showed signs of relaxing, "on one condition." 

The demon stiffened again. 

"If we fight to the death." 

"What!?" 

The demon stared at her like she was crazy. 

"You want death matches!?!" he exclaimed, "I protest!" 

"What? Are your students afraid to fight to the death?" 

"It's not that..." 

"Oh, what then? Are you scared to fight me? A mere woman?" 

The demon gritted his teeth. This was not going as expected. 

__

What am I going to do? I can't risk getting killed! I have a revenge to take care of!! 

"Y-you sure you won't accept any alternate?" 

"Yes." 

__

All right, so this crazy woman expects to kill every one of us. That really can't be possible, can it? No, wait... What am I so afraid about? All of my students have some reasonable fighting skills, so she should be all worn out by the time she reaches the third fight! After all, human energy can only last so long... Heh, we'll just see how long she can last against all of them... 

"All right then," the demon grunted, "To the death." 

The woman smiled, perhaps for the first time. 

"Done." 

~ 

The borders were drawn, the fighters were set, and the grand 'tournament' was to begin any second. It had decided that Ukugo would fight first against the mysterious woman. Students were gathered at one end of the rectangular arena, and the woman, alone, at the other. The demon stood somewhere near the middle, just outside the line, with Kami and Mr. Popo. As for the head girl, she preferred to stand close to one of the corners on the woman's side. Ukugo warmed up, while her brother lectured some last minute reminders. 

"And you remember Shiroi Ribon (White Ribbon)?" inquired Colipoc, "And Tora Shuugeki (Tiger Assault) would be for..." 

"Onii-chan (big brother)," complained Ukugo, "I don't need any help with this! I'm sure I can handle her myself!"

"All right, Nee-chan (younger sister)," replied Colipoc, waving a hand at her, "You go ahead and do it your way. But seriously..." 

He put a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear: 

"...I'd be really watchful around her... There's cold murder in her eyes, I've seen it..." 

"So what?" retorted Ukugo, "That's no problem. It's not like I haven't killed before." 

"I mean it! We aren't playing around with cultivators (a.k.a. Saibamen) anymore! This is the real thing...no more rules, no time limit, no Sensei to rescue you! You have nothing! You're fighting it till one of you dies! As soon as you step into that arena..." 

"Oh, stop it! How many times do I have to tell you that I can handle her!? You're just like Kaa-san (Mom) sometimes!" 

"I just want to..." 

"Enough! I have to go now." 

Ukugo stood up from her stretch and strode past her brother---or rather swaggered--- full of pride, and confident that she could easily win this. Somewhat stocked at her response to his warning, Colipoc watched her. Then his face transformed into a scowl. 

"Fine," he whispered, "You don't want my help...that's just fine." 

Ukugo stepped into the arena and smiled demurely at her opponent. The other met her gaze and did the same. 

"Would you rather I do this with a weapon?" called out the woman to Ukugo. 

"Doesn't matter to me!" Ukugo yelled back, "Because I'm gonna kick your ass anyway!" 

"Whatever suits your needs," replied the woman, and held it in her hand, poised for battle. 

Ukugo's ki (air energy) flared into a shield around her. Ukugo smirked, wondering if the other was amazed to see a technique like that, and sped towards her adversary. Her energy grew slightly as she picked up speed, and a battle cry sprang from her lips as she pulled back a fist to aim at the woman's face. The other hadn't moved still, that same, wide smile still smacked on her pretty face. 

__

She's scared, Ukugo leered on, _I was right... I can't wait to slice those pretty lips of hers and throw them off the Lookout after she dies._

At the last second, Ukugo threw the punch. She was so close to the other that she could smell the faint perfume of flowers in the woman's hair. 

"SHINEI (die)!!!" 

But all she felt was air. All she heard was the soft whistle of her technique sailing through the stillness. She almost lost her balance as she tried to stop, for much power was put behind just that one method. Ukugo steadied herself on one foot, and when she felt regained her balance, put the other foot down. Her obsidian eyes strayed wildly from side to side. 

"Doko... (where)?" she said. 

"Doko ka (somewhere)," was the reply, though Ukugo wasn't sure of the source. 

She whirled around, expecting to find her. Nothing. Ukugo jerked her head from side to side, then turned around again. Again, nothing. 

"Doko kara (from where)?" the alien snarled, beginning to get frustrated, "Doko made (how far)?" 

"Above you," said the woman, and thrust the bottom end of her scythe on Ukugo's head. 

Almost immediately, Ukugo was in pain. Her nervous system seemed to explode at the moment, the agony spreading from her head to everywhere else, forcing Ukugo's body to lose muscle function. Her knees became wobbly, her arms shaky. She attempted to make a fist to strike back, but her fingers felt like water...unable to move at her command anymore. 

"You..." gasped Ukugo, as she felt her eyes roll to the back of her head, "...Bitch..."

She collapsed on her knees and fell on her face. Colipoc took half a step towards his sister, but stopped. Eden, always the sensitive one, started towards her. The other stopped him with a firm grip on the shoulder. 

"Leave her alone," he said shortly to him, "Nothing you can do." 

"But she's your own sister," Eden retorted, "Don't you care?" 

"So what... She wouldn't even listen to me in the first place." 

"What is that supposed to mean!" 

The taller alien glared at the smaller one. 

"Anata baka o iu (you talk nonsense)," replied Colipoc slowly, "She doesn't deserve another chance." 

Eden didn't answer him. Instead, he just forced himself to look at the fight before them. The woman stood towering above his fainted sister, a scowl outlining her face. 

"You weakling," she spat, and gave a small kick to Ukugo's arm, "From what your sensei had bragged, I expected better of you." 

She took up her scythe again, blade end facing down. 

"Die." 

A flash of light, a whistle in the air, and Eden looked away. A second later, he heard the explosion, and the stench of dead and smoke filled his nostrils. Only then did he dare to turn back. What only remained of comrade was a six-foot crater and wisps of smoke rising from it. The woman looked up, the shadow of a small smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth, the sheath's blade stained with lime-colored blood. 

"Who's next?"

The demon's jaw just dropped. He had partially believed the woman to be what she claimed, but this was certainly far beyond of what he had anticipated.

"That fight couldn't have lasted more than a minute...or less. What power!"

He shook his head vigorously in disbelief.

"Masaka (impossible)!"

"Well?" the woman's voice penetrated his thoughts.

"C-colipoc," he croaked.

His selection said nothing, his face emotionless. He simply nodded and walked into the arena. The woman wiped her blades clean, and looked him up and down. She pressed a red button on her staff, and in a cloud of smoke, it shrunk to the size of an earring, with the handle curved as a hook. With that, she bent down and clipped the now tiny weapon to her ear. She set up a stance. Colipoc did the same, his arms crossed in front of him and in a crouched position. He began to concentrate, focusing on an energy ball forming in front of him. In a matter of seconds, a small orb had forged from nothing. It glowed a brilliant green, the same color as the blood that flowed within him. He straightened up, cradling the orb with one hand. A small smile curled his lips, revealing obvious pleasure in this.

"Can you do that?" he asked the woman across him.

Without a word, the woman held up hand, and a blood-red silver-colored orb materialized. A demure smile shone back at him. At that, they charged at each other, Colipoc's battle cry echoing in the air, the woman's continuing smile. The expression was beginning to annoy Colipoc, and he drew his throwing arm back, which still held the orb.

"DIE!!"

He released the orb and forced himself to a halt. After righting himself, Colipoc looked to see what effect his attack had. The rapid ball of energy traveled so fast, and the woman was still charging towards it.

"What's she trying?" wondered Colipoc aloud, "She's still smiling..."

What the woman did was surprisingly basic. With one smooth motion, she merely brushed the green ball with one hand, and the other came closer to her side. The ball sailed through the air, nearly hitting Kami and the girl, and smashed into a column of Kami's palace. That one column collapsed, the entire residence did also, and in a matter of seconds, it was a total junk pile. This didn't shake Colipoc a bit, so he held his ground. As the woman drew nearer, Colipoc got into a fight stance.

__

This is it...

She slowed her pace, and Colipoc leapt forward and swung. Accurate as it would've been, his punch missed, and she did a back flip. As her foot touched a tile behind her, she pushed against it, and vaulted towards him again. This time, Colipoc fired a beam. She waited, then suddenly went low in an awkward crouch leaning forward, sliding across the flat surface still on her feet. The beam had barely missed her, charring maybe the ends of a few strands of hair. She slid until she was almost under Colipoc and thrust her orb smack into his stomach. 

There was a small explosion, lime blood bursting all over the place like a water balloon. Colipoc stood, frozen, where he was, his eyes wide as the thick liquid poured out in a river from his wound and dripped onto his hand and into puddles on the tiled floor. Everyone looked on the strange scene, the air thick with the smell of blood, smoke, and burnt flesh, the air silent as a tomb. A slight breeze whistled, sending shivers across Colipoc's skin and through the hole in his stomach.

It was obvious that he would die, but the woman, standing unscathed and unstained of blood some seven feet away from Colipoc, wasn't finished. Colipoc shifted his stare to the woman's expressionless eyes. 

"Nice shot." 

He fell on his hands and knees, the blood still flowing freely. A final gasp from Colipoc, and his limbs gave way to the hard tiles, and twisted over on his back in pain. He finally died, his stubborn spirit beaten and body broken. The woman, unsmiling now, walked towards the corpse. She stood over it, arms crossed, and shook her head a little. 

"Mijime na (pitiful)," she said plainly, and bent down to run a hand over the alien's bloody face to shut his open eyes, "But a good fight." 

She straightened up and raised a hand. With a simple energy blast, she destroyed the body. After the smoke cleared, she tossed her head back and looked at the wide-mouthed demon. 

"Sanzen Sakebigoe (Three Thousand Screams)," she explained to the stunned sensei, then with a somewhat reluctant sigh, which was strange compared to some of her earlier smiles, "Next..." 

Kami raised an eyebrow ridge. 

__

Why the sudden change? 

Kami closed his eyes and breathed slowly, as if in meditation. After a moment, he reopened his eyes and looked at the woman, who took no notice of him. 

"Akushitsu na (evil)," he said to Mr. Popo. 

"Is she of this world?" inquired Mr. Popo. "I'm not sure. She has human behavior..." 

"Shut your mouth, old Namekian!" shouted the demon at Kami. 

He snapped his head back at the woman, desperate thoughts running in his head. 

__

All right then...two fighters gone, Ukugo and Colipoc... Oh, just as well, I've still got four left... Let's see, NOT Nhago, she'll never be ready until she starts wearing sweats...Eden? No, he's too short... 

"Arden!" The boy calmly floated into the arena, his hands clapped together as if in prayer. Being of a more amiable and benign disposition than the rest, Arden wasn't really looking forward to this. His race had been a spiritual type, choosing enlightenment and psychic concentration over blood and war. However, the sensei's advertisements had intrigued him to join the academy, and here he was. He had trained hard, perhaps even harder than the rest had, but no more powerful, sad to say.

"Sensei," he called out, his eyes still shut in last-minute meditation, "I feel I have not trained enough for this. I sense that I will..."

"Triumph?" entered the demon hopefully, "Good boy, then. Now kill her off!!"

Arden sighed and opened his eyes at the opponent before him.

__

So the old man was right...

What he was referring to was a prophecy told to him by an ancient diviner in his old temple. Before Arden left for the academy, the elderly priest fortold of Arden's death if he dared to leave the temple.

"I guess I'll die," murmured Arden.

He set his fighting stance. The woman twirled a lock of hair around her finger. A brief moment of silence elapsed between the two, each sizing the other for potential weaknesses. The woman charged first, Arden waiting. He crossed his arms in front, concentrating on an energy shield. 

However, the woman was faster than he expected, and punched him in the nose. His head jerked back at an awkward angle, his body flying backwards and stream of blood flowing from his nose. He bounced on the pavement with a hard and lay there. For a few seconds, Arden laid stunned. His mind felt clouded, as do most when the body has been suddenly attacked. It suddenly occurred to him that his nose was broken, but the pain didn't stop him from getting up again. The woman stood in front of him, smiling at him in a mocking way.

This irritated him, so he delivered a kick to her side. However, his assault sailed through her body, for it was only an illusion. Arden cocked an eyebrow in surprise as the image continued to grin at him. He whirled around to find her again. Scowling, he repeated the attack, but to no result.

"Another illusion," he muttered.

Frustrated, Arden looked to his left. Another shadow. Also on his right, yet another challenged him to fight.

"Onna! Where are you!"

One of the shadows smirked at him.

"Right here," she said, and pointed two fingers upwards.

A huge explosion erupted the ground beneath Arden, bursting his senses and burning his body. The ground shook and rocked, the people struggling for balance. Even Korin, who lived someplace down the tower, felt the quake. Clouds of smoke and dust provoked their sensitive eyes and into their hair and clothes. Worst of all, though, was a scream. A truly, utterly horrible shriek that left a ringing in their ears and in their minds, full of pain and blood and memory of worst existence. It tore at them all, wanting them to run away and hide, but their curiosity restrained them. Finally, all cloudy debris settled, but the sight left them stunned.

There was no body to be viewed. It would've been nothing at all, except for the colossal crater that had bored into the ground. If one looked into it, one would have a grand view of light blue sky and puffy clouds beneath. Such display would not be suitable for one who is afraid of heights, but it was a breath-taking scene. The woman hovered a few feet above the gigantic hole, arms folded, and something twitching… 

"A TAIL!?" the demon nearly shouted. 

"Yes," replied the woman, annoyed, "A tail." 

"It's about time you found out," she added, her tail lazily making little circles. 

What everyone thought had been a belt was the tail, casually making aimless motions in the air while the spectators stared on. 

"A...A Saiyajin!?" stammered Nhago. 

"That explains..." started Eden. 

"...The power," finished the head girl, who was the only one of the whole lot who didn't look too surprised, "No wonder." 

"B-but I-I thought you were..." stuttered the demon, beginning to shake. 

"Human?" 

Just then, a noise was heard towards the edge of the Lookout. Heads turned as the source, a certain round-headed man in an orange uniform, flew and landed on the ground. 

"Hey," he said, "What's going on here?" 

Others appeared besides him: a boy with jet-black hair, another man with a scar over his eye, and a Namekian in a white cape. The man's eyes widened at the scene before them. 

"Whoa, Kami's palace is gone!" he observed. 

"No, really, Yamcha?" said Piccolo sarcastically, "Did you bother to look over there?" 

He nodded his head towards the three remaining students and sensei. Two he didn't care a heck about, because their power levels were that of Yamcha and Kuririn's anyway. The black-haired girl and the demon seemed to fit Gohan's power level. But the Saiyajin... 

__

I can't sense her power level… 

Piccolo gazed at the woman, who in turn was overlooking the newcomers. Somehow, their arrival didn't seem to affect her at all. Her face? 

__

Cold... 

Everyone else seemed to have reacted: Kami and Mr. Popo were grateful and hopeful. The demon was desperate, sweaty, and panicky. Nhago and Eden were just plain surprised and fearful, but too obedient to their master to run away. The black-haired girl was reaching for her sword, but paused in her action, as if waiting for something else to happen. Piccolo cocked an eyebrow ridge. It didn't matter to him who the others were; just the woman. Those eyes of hers... 

__

What is she hiding? 

The woman sensed his staring and locked eyes with him. 

"What are you staring at, bakayarou?" Piccolo felt a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. The feeling felt unnerving to him, the unfamiliar warmth heating up his face. Gohan looked at him. 

"Sensei," he said, with the small smile tugging at his mouth, "You're blushing." His former teacher glared at him. 

"Shut up, kid." 

However, Gohan wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he was interrogating the woman. 

"Who are you, anyway," he inquired the woman, "You a Saiyajin?" 

"Who I am doesn't matter to you," she answered, "But, yes, I am a Saiyajin...I thought the tail would be truth enough." 

She peered at Gohan a little closer. "I know the rest them, but are you...Whatshisname, that kid who fought Raditz..." 

Gohan drew himself up a little. "I'm the son of Son Goku. My name's Gohan." 

"Now I remember... I know Goku...Is Vegeta still around? Or did he die in that battle with your father?" 

"How do you know about my dad or Vegeta? You couldn't have been around to know them..." 

The woman's eyes glinted a moment. 

"There are some who survive better than others." 

"Wait," Gohan suddenly interjected again, "How can you really be a Saiyajin? I thought there weren't any female Saiyajins..." 

Her eyes lit with silent anger at his ignorance. 

"I never said I was a pure blood." "...oh..." 

~

Meanwhile, the demon himself was silently deliberating what to do. After, he was near frantic since the woman revealed herself to be a Saiyajin and Z Senshi showed up. 

__

WHAT DO I DO!? WHAT DO I DO!? There's a Saiyajin loose, Earth fighers have shown up, three of my fighters gone... WHAT DO I DO!?! WHAT DO I DO!?! I have to think of something!! 

The demon visibly shook, his fists clutched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, and a cold sweat bathing him. 

"There's a way out, I know it!" he told himself, "Now..." 

He looked around for ideas. His gaze fell upon Kuririn. 

__

The bald man? No, no good... 

His eyes found Gohan. 

__

Hmmmm... The kid could prove to be useful at some point. But not now. 

Thirdly, the demon looked at Piccolo. 

"Piccolo..." 

He looked back and forth between Kami and Piccolo. 

"Of course...the two are connected, aren't they? Kill one..." 

He motioned to his two remaining students. They obediently came over, one on each side of the master. The head girl, reluctant, but willing, came, too, though stayed a decent distance. 

"All right, here's the plan," began the demon, motioning them to come closer, "I'm going to get Kami..." 

"But what about the others," interrupted Nhago, "Don't forget the Saiyajin..." 

"I know that! So, while I get Kami, the rest of you distract the others: Nhago, you take on the bald man; Eden, the other guy..." 

"What about the boy and the other Namekian? And the genie?" cut in Eden, "They..." 

"I'm counting on the fact that the Saiyajin will take care of the Namekian, and the genie is no concern. As for boy..." 

At this, the demon glanced at the girl. 

"...I'm sure it will be taken care of. Attack on my signal." 

"On your command," replied Nhago and Eden together. 

The girl's eyes shifted from the demon to the boy. 

__

He seems strong enough, she thought, _...Not bad._

She shook her head in surprise at her own thoughts. 

__

No. What am I thinking? He's an ugly boy, isn't he? No, I don't mean that...he's...he's...kinda kawaii... 

"Hey, pay attention!" someone's voice cut in. 

The girl snapped to attention, slightly confused. 

"Nani...?" 

"What are doing?" asked Eden, "We're getting ready to attack!" 

"Oh, yeah, okay..." 

She took a quick look to see that Eden and Nhago were ready, and the demon off to murder Kami. 

__

We are ready... 

~ 

A high-pitched whistle sliced through the air like a knife. Nearly everyone clapped their hands over their ears, for it was so shrill. 

"What the heck is that!?" yelled Kuririn at Yamcha. 

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnn..." was all Yamcha could muster from his gritted teeth, "N-nails on a ch-chalkb-board..." 

"Couldn't agree more!" Kuririn would've shouted back, but he felt a punch contact with the side of his face. 

"Hey! What..." Kuririn felt a boot make a kick at his chin. 

He flew back, rubbing his cheek. 

"Who...?" 

Some distance away was Nhago in a fighting stance. 

"C'mon!" she barked at him, "Fight me!" 

"Nani...?" Kuririn blinked. 

Angered, Nhago charged---and fast. She swung, but Kuririn dodged just in time. Finally, the dawn of comprehension swept over Kuririn that he had to fight her, so he did. And, out of the corner of his eye saw Yamcha taking on a boy who was barely shorter than Kuririn himself. 

"Yamcha's not gonna make it," Kuririn muttered to himself, "That guy's holding back his power." 

Meanwhile, Gohan was standing by Piccolo, both of them looking at what battles Yamcha and Kuririn had gotten themselves into. Suddenly, Gohan thought he heard something move behind him. He turned his head ever so slightly, and fist met him. 

"Oh god!" he exclaimed, tilting his chin back to move with the fist's momentum, then found his feet being kicked out from under him. 

"Kamehameha!" shouted Gohan, a fat beam of energy firing from his hand. 

The blast took the head girl by surprise, hitting her smack in the face. She quickly recovered, throwing her sword at Gohan. He barely got out of the way, the blade ripping part of his gi. The sword ended up nearly hitting Piccolo, but he, too, dodged it. 

"Hey! Not fair!" Gohan wanted to complain, but the girl was charged at him. 

The two went head-on, fist to fist, kick to kick. Piccolo watched them in amusement. He suddenly sensed the curve of a blade next to his throat.

Cool nonetheless, he said: "You're still here, huh?"

The Saiyajin next to him drew the scythe blade back a little.

"Yes," she replied shortly, "Now we fight."

"What?"

He cocked an eyebrow ridge.

"You want me to spell it out?" woman said curtly, an edge of steel in her voice, "You... fight... me."

Ordinarily, Piccolo wouldn't have blinked an eye. This time, however, he hesitated.

__

What's the matter with me? She's just a Saiyajin, and not even a pure one at that!

"What's the matter?" she taunted, "Are you scared?"

Piccolo's eyebrow twitched. Now that struck a nerve.

"Of course not," he answered simply, "I'm just not one to fight a woman."

"What did you say?" she responded, a little annoyed.

"You heard me."

Piccolo couldn't help but smirk to himself.

__

So I've struck a nerve there...

"You bakayarou," she said, "You ARE afraid to fight, AREN'T you?"

"WHAT!?"

He nearly fell down in surprise. The woman shook her head, smirking.

"All right then," he said, his eyebrow ridge twitching slightly while setting his stance, "If you want it, come and get it…"

~

Gohan flew back another step, allowing himself room to dodge the girl's kick. She was good, persistent and always trying to find an opening.

"God, you're good," he said, aiming a roundhouse kick at her head (which she blocked), "Did you learn from that demon?"

"Yes," she said sharply, "I had no choice."

"What does that mean?"

"It was a matter of survival. You didn't know what it was like…"

She paused a moment. Gohan stopped, too, to listen. The girl continued, drawing out a long story that made Gohan's eyes nearly pop from all the horror and abuse she had gone through. His mind was numb when she finished, and she was teary-eyed.

"Wow…" was all Gohan could say, "I never thought…I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she sniffed, wiping her tears on the back of hand, "It's…"

The girl suddenly burst out crying and grabbed Gohan around the neck, sobbing like crazy. Caught off guard, Gohan fell on a block of cement, still holding her. Besides holding her, he had no idea what to do. She tightened her grip around him, wailing even louder. A hot flush of crimson covered Gohan's face.

"Hey, it's all right, it's okay, I'm...I'm here," he said awkwardly.

The girl looked up, her face red and wet with tears. 

"You don't have to stay with him, you know," continued Gohan, referring to the demon, "You could just leave..."

"But he's all I got," she responded, looking away, "I've no family and no place to live. I don't even know what planet I'm from!"

Gohan sat next to her.

"Well..." he said, "Why don't you just stay here?"

"Huh?"

She looked beside her to look at him.

"Stay on Earth," he said, "It's an awfully nice place to live..."

"But where will I live?"

"You could stay with my family for a while..."

"Really? Oh, thank you!!!"

The girl's eyes shined with happiness and she leaned over and hugged Gohan (who blushed).

"I'm so glad..." she whispered, "...that I can actually count on someone..."

Gohan smiled at her.

"Hey, it's no problem. I won't let you down." 

~

Piccolo grunted and rubbed his side. The Saiyajin sensed his injury and drew back (_Unusual behavior…_ Piccolo thought). Not wanting to appear weak, Piccolo tried to straighten up.

"You okay?" the woman suddenly asked.

The other raised an eyebrow ridge, but smiled slightly.

"Just a scratch," he said, "Just a scratch..."

He turned and drew his hand away. Blood dripped from a gash in his side onto his hand. His eyes widened.

"Where the hell did this come from?"

Piccolo looked back at the woman, who was trying to see what happened.

"You're hurt, aren't you?"

"Yes, if you have to know." 

"Maybe you could ask Kami."

"Kami? Oh god, I forgot..."

Piccolo looked around for Kami.

"Kami!" he shouted, in hopes of answer.

A strangled cry managed to reply.

"Oh, great," Piccolo muttered as a stinging pain shot across his back,

"That's just great..."

A blur of dark hair rushed past him towards the source.

"HEY!" yelled Piccolo, "What are you doing!?"

"Saving your ass!" shouted back the Saiyajin, who now had her sheath out, "I'll be right back!"

"What!?"

~

"But I want to kill them!" complained Nhago, "How come I never get to do it?"

"Because you're a weakling, that's why," said Eden sharply, annoyed that Nhago was in his way, "Plus the fact that you can't aim properly. Now, if you don't get out of my way..."

"Oh, Eden!! Let me do it!"

"Do 'it' somewhere else with somebody else where you won't be in the way!" shouted Eden.

"But I..."

"Look, you better shut your trap or you'll be seeing your liver in my hand!"

"Eden..."

"Just move!"

"At this point, Eden shoved her out of the way and----got his legs sliced off from beneath him. Eden screamed in pain as the Saiyajin silenced the shrieks of Nhago. Helpless, Nhago fell dead, her mismatched eyes black without life and blood trickling from her mouth. Her comrade couldn't help but stare at the corpse and looked at his own legs just a few feet away from him. A light suddenly shone in his eyes, and he narrowed them to look up at the light of a blade staring at him. A pair of eyes stared into his, a death sentence.

"Shinei."

So the top half of Eden was blown to pieces, his parts scattering all over place. Yamcha woke up at just that moment and stared at a detached eyeball near his hand.

"Oh my god," he said, then fainted.

Kuririn had an entirely different reaction. He had woken up and just stared, too sickly to even try and vomit. The woman, having no time for such nonsense, flew off towards the direction of the demon.

"Hey wait!" shouted Kuririn after her, getting up and leaving the mess behind with Yamcha.

He flew after her, then was joined by Gohan and the other girl. Piccolo didn't see what happened, but he had definitely heard it. He managed to fly a few feet above the ground and painfully made his way towards Kami and the demon.

"Now you finally die," the hovering demon said to Kami (who was on the ground again, barely breathing).

A sort of spear suddenly materialized out of nowhere in his hand. He smiled, then charged from the air towards the ground. Nearer and nearer he drew, the spear point closer and closer to Kami's heart.

"At last..." he began to say.

His sentence was cut short by a cold sensation in his stomach. He grunted, then felt a strange warm thing drip onto his pants. Staring down, he saw an ebony handle, which lead to a pair of pale hands that belonged to…

"You," the demon said, his eyes wide and stupefied.

She nodded, pulling her bloody staff out of the demon.

They both floated back to the ground, the demon still in shock. He felt the hole, amazed at what damage the blades had done.

"You," he repeated, "You did this..."

The woman gave a small smile.

"I've killed off all the weaklings, demon. Now you die."

She held up her hand at eye level, and making sure he was watching, she did a little hand motion. A small, sparkly thing suddenly appeared in her hand. It was like a willow-o-wisp, except maybe even smaller. It floated around a bit in her hand and eventually to the tip of her finger. The woman pointed it at the demon, and the wisp began to go the demon. Its motions were like a lone spark spat from the fire, going this way and that. The demon's beady eyes were transfixed on it, as if under a spell. He even reached out for the spark, cupping in his hands. As for the woman, she backed out and began to sprint the other way.

"RUN!" she shouted to the others.

The first explosion confirmed her warning. Everyone scattered, taking refuge behind still-standing pillars, chunks of walls, and piles of rubble. Yamcha grabbed the unconscious Kami, swing him over his shoulder, and hiding them both in the shield of what used to be a desk. More explosions followed, sending more waves of dust and slit through the air, causing some of them to cough. The very force of the blasts ate away at the pillars and walls, sometimes even carrying away whole chunks (one of them hit Yamcha in the face). There were no screams to be heard. This created some doubt among the group: "Could the demon be alive?"

They found that out when the dust clouds cleared. There was no trace of a corpse anywhere. Just a massive crater bearing a hole deep enough to break out at the bottom.

"Oh…my…God…"

The girl's eyes were huge.

"How can…?" she tried to ask, but the words were stuck in her throat.

"It's possible," interrupted Gohan, crossing his arms, "For the stronger of us, anyway."

"I could never do that!"

"With practice…"

"Hey, where's Kami?" said Piccolo, looking around.

"He's right over there," said Yamcha, "And he's in pretty bad shape…"

He looked Piccolo up and down.

"…And so are you," he finished, "I'm going to Karin's to get some senzous."

"All right. Be back soon," said Kuririn, "I'm going to go check on Kami."

"I'll come with you," said the girl jogging after him.

The three left, leaving only Piccolo and Gohan standing around. For a few moments, Piccolo assessed the damage inflicted on him. LOTS of huge gashes, bruised ribs, and numerous bruises, but nothing was broken…he hoped. There were so many minor scratches on him, too, and his head hurt. He even limped a little when he walked, causing pain with every step.

"You okay, Sensei?" asked Gohan, his eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine," replied Piccolo in his usual manner, "I've been worse."

"You sure…"

"YES, I'M SURE."

"Okay!"

Piccolo took another glance around.

"Where is she?"

"Who? The girl?"

"No, you know who I mean…"

"Sensei, not the…"

"Yes, that's who I mean."

"Didn't you see what she did to that demon, Sensei!? She must've done some other awful things to the other ones, because Yamcha and Kuririn kept away from her with…"

"She tried to kill me, too, kid, but I want to see her."

"Sensei! You're in no condition to fight!"

"I just want to talk to her…"

Piccolo jerked his head towards a direction. His ears twitched. There was a sound…Kind of like…

__

Crying?

"There…" he said simply, "She's still here."

"Sensei…" spoke up Gohan.

He grabbed his teacher's hand.

"Don't! You can't trust her!"

"She saved my ass, Gohan, not to mention Kami's."

"But…"

"Look, I can take her, Gohan."

Piccolo looked into the child's black eyes. Gohan was so young…too bad he had lost his innocence so soon. Now he was scared, instilled with an old fear of losing his friends. An old fear of attachment… The huge Namek knelt down by his 'foster child', painful as it was, and ruffled his messy hair.

"Hey, I'll be okay."

Gohan couldn't help but cry a little. He was nine, after all. Here he was, the only thing blocking his sensei from what could possibly be his second death.

__

I have to protect him… I don't trust that Saiyajin. …Sensei…

"Gohan, please," Gohan heard Piccolo say, "Let me go."

"…"

"I'll come back…it's a promise."

Gohan looked up at him.

"Really?" he asked in his old childish voice, "Will you?"

Piccolo smiled.

"Yakusoku (I promise)."

Gohan bit his lip.

__

Wasting it all if I let you go again… But I trust you.

Gohan nodded. Piccolo smiled again and ruffled his hair. He stood up and flew a few in the air into the opposite direction.

"See ya, kid."

~

When he got there, what Piccolo had sensed was right: she was crying. Piccolo was taken aback a little, never had seeing a Saiyajin cry…especially a pretty female one at that. He couldn't help but stare.

"Hey," he called out, "Are you okay."

"What are you doing here, bakayarou?" she said, her back to him, "Go away."

"Why? I don't have anything to do."

He crossed his arms. They spent a few moments in silence.

"You don't seem like the type to cry," Piccolo remarked.

"My race isn't the type to do so," she replied, "It means that you're weak."

"What's wrong with crying? I don't see anything wrong with it: if it hurts, what's wrong with showing it?"

"I don't want to be..."

She whirled around, her eyes full of tears. Piccolo was taken aback. The sight of those tears startled him, coming from such a hardened source. Not knowing what else to do, he crossed his arms. Maybe in a fit of insane compassion, or trying to be understanding, or maybe just out of plain annoyance, Piccolo told her:

"If you think you are a weakling, go ahead. No one's stopping you. When I first saw you, I didn't think you were a weakling. I thought that you weren't someone to mess around with, and the scythe proved true. But now, all alone out here, I see that you're crying. Then you tell me that you're a weakling. I'm convinced that..."

"Would you just stop it!" she nearly screamed at him, more tears streaming down her cheeks, "I heard what you said! You don't need to act like I need help!"

She took a wild swing at him, but he easily caught her punch. Sotari's other arm swung around his neck, burying her wet face in his gi. Piccolo felt a strange, uncomfortable feeling in him, and he didn't like it…not really, anyway. Plus, that weird, hot feeling was back in his cheeks again. His arms awkwardly hung at his sides. No one had actually hugged him before, even Gohan. A real beating was the set price for such an action. He looked down at her.

"Um…"

Sotari looked up, eyes still slightly wet. Piccolo seemed to echo a distant memory. A memory she couldn't quite remember...A tear slid down Sotari's pale cheek. She could almost grasp it... And almost lose it again...

"Thanks…" her eyes seemed to say to him, "I needed that."

Piccolo stared at her blankly. He was at a loss for words.

"What hurts?" he finally said.

"I'm not going to tell you that---ever."

Sotari's eyes hardened again. She withdrew, back to the distance she had stood only moments before.

__

Why the hell is she like this? thought Piccolo, _What are you running from?_

"Well," he said a little gruffly, "If you don't trust me to listen to your problems, then at least tell me your name."

She narrowed her eyes, almost fully distrustful again.

"Sotari," she said curtly.

__

Sotari…pretty.

"I already know who you are," she said, "You're Piccolo."

"And how did you know that?" asked Piccolo with equal contempt.

"Beat me then, and I'll tell you."

"…Fine."

~ 

"Is he okay?" asked the girl to Kuririn.

"Kami'll be all right," said Kuririn, checking Kami's pulse, "He's been worse."

"Hey, you two," called out Gohan from somewhere behind them.

"Hey!" said the girl, smiling at him, then seeing his face, "What's wrong?"

"It's Piccolo," said Gohan a little dejectedly, "He's gone off to look for the Saiyajin."

"WHAT!?" the girl and Kuririn shouted together, "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM!?"

Gohan flinched.

"It…I…He…I just did."

"B-but why?" said Kuririn, suddenly standing, "We should go after him!"

"No!" Gohan said, waving his arms, "We can't!"

"Why not? That Saiyajin can kill him! You should've seen what she did to those two aliens!"

"Which ones?" asked the girl.

"What? There were more than three?" asked Gohan, incredulous.

"Yeah…Six, including me."

"But…what happened…?"

"The Saiyajin," finished Kuririn, clenching his fists, "We can't let her get Piccolo…"

"I felt the same way," sighed Gohan.

"Huh?"

"He said he only wanted to talk to her. I'm sure if he needs help, he ask for it," said Gohan a little sharply, "Just leave him."

"Gohan," said Kuririn, taken aback, "What…?"

"Just drop it!"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Okay, then," said Kuririn finally, "I trust you know what you're doing…But I still think you're crazy!"

"I know," said Gohan, sitting down, "That's what I'm wondering myself…"

The girl sat down next to him.

"I don't understand," she said, "What's the thing between Piccolo and Kami?"

Gohan explained it to her.

"I see…what's your name?" she asked Gohan.

"I'm Gohan," said Gohan, extending a hand, "And this is Kuririn."

"I'm Videl," she said, shaking Gohan's hand, then Kuririn's, "Nice to meet you."

"What were doing with the demon?" asked Kuririn.

"It's a long story," she said.

Kuririn took the hint.

"Hey, Gohan," said Videl, changing the subject, "You want to help me dump Nhago's body?"

"Why would we want to do that? It's disrespectful," responded Gohan, "We should bury her."

"Nhago never gave me any respect. I don't see why I should give her corpse any. Besides..."

"HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" screamed a blur rushing at them.

"What..." began Gohan, then got smashed in the side of his head with an iron pole.

"Gohan!" cried Videl, but got punched in the stomach so hard that she had the breath knocked out of her. 

Videl fell to her knees clutching her stomach, blood and saliva flowing freely.

"You..." she gasped at the figure above her, "Damn you to hell, Nhago!"

"I know," smiled Nhago, "That Saiyajin forgot, didn't she?"

"So did I," replied Videl, "That you can resurrect yourself."

"I'm soo glad that I'm Aral!"

Nhago picked up Videl by her clothes with one hand, and holding Kuririn with the other.

"Now I can finally pay you back for all the times you've humiliated me,

Videl," she said slowly, "I'll treasure this moment."

"KAMEHAMEHA!!!!!" shouted Gohan.

Nhago smirked, and threw an unconcious Kuririn at the beam. Gohan tried to cancel the attack, but wasn't in time. The blast hit Kuririn full power, shredding his clothes and frying his skin.

"Kuririn!" yelled Gohan, rushing to his friend's side, "Are you all right? Wake up! I'm sorry!"

Kuririn's eyelids slowly opened.

"Kuririn!" said Gohan happily, "You're alive!"

"Yeah, kid..." said Kuririn, smiling despite his wounds, "Nice Kamehameha...Nearly fried me back there..."

"I didn't mean to hit you!"

"I didn't know I was in the way."

"C'mon, get up, Kuririn! We've got to save Videl!"

"Okay."

Kuririn painfully got up, Gohan helping him. The two set their fighting stances. Nhago only smirked and laughed.

"Weaklings!" she chuckled, "I'll make this a long fight for you... You'll be begging me to let you

die."

"Look who's talking!" said Kuririn with a laugh, "You're the one who had to have someone else beat me for you."

"Eden just got impatient, that's all," said Nhago slowly, her teeth gritted, "Everyone thinks I'm weak, that I'll never get anywhere... Heh, but they've only seen my first form."

"First form?" asked a confused Gohan, "You aren't like Frieza, aren't you?"

"I hope not," muttered Kuririn under his breath.

"It means that every time she dies she transforms into something more powerful than the last!" shouted Videl.

"Which makes me sort of like a demon," said Nhago.

"But you're only a quarter," cut in Videl.

"Shut up, Videl! I'm still Aral, and I can still do all the things they do!"

"Like transform into a man?" mocked Videl, "Or that..."

"I said SHUT UP Videl!"

"You freak of nature!!" said a shocked Kuririn (who took Videl's claim literally) to Nhago.

"You asked for it!" yelled Nhago, "You've made me mad!!"

Still holding Videl, she began to power up. A light aura shown around her and in her eyes. Holes of light began to pierce her skin, as if something was forcing itself out. Even when she opened her mouth, a light beam fired itself at Kuririn and Gohan.

"Look out!" yelled Gohan, jumping out of the way.

Kuririn did, barely missing it. The beam just managed to burn some of his skin. It sizzled like frying grease.

"Aaaahhh, hot!!" whimpered Kuririn, clutching at his burning shoulder, "IT HURTS!!!"

"Kuririn!" shouted Gohan.

"I'm all right, just stay away from those beams!"

Gohan looked back to see something that resembled a dinosaur with a long, scaly tail and a huge skull.

"Oh, shit..."

What was supposed to be Nhago now was a bulky, but powerful blue body, with an enormous, dinosaur-like skull with a long bone in the back of it. It had no eyes---just two gaping holes and a smaller one for the nose. The mouth was lined with three rows of sharp teeth and fangs. The only things that actually remained of Nhago was the arm that held Videl, and it looked abnormally small and weak compared to the rest of her body. And the mercury growth, still on the side of her face---skull---ugly and disgusting as ever.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!!" boomed Nhago's new voice, husky and with a growl.

She opened her mouth again and fired another acid beam straight at Gohan. He dodged, only to have to avoid another---and another---and another. It was a shower of beams, Gohan and Kuririn jumping all over the place. Nhago turned to the still-helpless Kami.

"Starting with the Namekian!"

~

Piccolo wanted to walk away, but he couldn't. He was just standing there, his back to her, wondering what he was supposed to do now. 

__

I could just walk away... It's not like it'll matter to her. She doesn't seem to want to be trusted. I don't have to stay...

"What aren't you going, bakayarou?" she asked him.

"Stop calling me names," replied an irritated Piccolo.

"What are you going to do about it, bakayarou?"

"...Beat the crap out of you?" he said, with the lack of anything else to say.

"Nice try, but I don't think you could in that condition."

"Those are all Kami's fault! I can take a lot more than this..."

"But you'll still die, won't you."

Piccolo paused.

"Yeah...I would..."

Sotari walked towards him, stopping beside him to place her hand on his bloody shoulder.

"You know, it's a real weakness to have... Having both of you die at the same time and all."

"He's my half-father..."

"But in that way, it's a shame. No wonder that demon fool chose to attack Kami instead of you... Hey, are you okay?"

Piccolo had knelt to his knees, clutching his chest, breathing even harder than before.

"Piccolo, what's going on!" said Sotari, now getting worried, "It's Kami, isn't it?"

He managed a nod.

"Damn, it's like a huge pressure on my chest...my whole body. It hurts..."

Sotari immediately stood up, her ki beginning to flare up.

"What hell is going on over there!!"

She started to fly, but Piccolo grabbed her ankle.

"Sotari, don't leave," he gasped, "I'm dying here..."

"So is Kami!"

"So," Piccolo smiled weakly, "You care more about the old Namekian than me? You do have feelings, don't you?"

"No, I don't!"

"That's really damn mean of you..."

"Piccolo!! I could care less crap about Kami!"

"Then why are you going...? You afraid to see me die?"

"..."

"That's what I thought."

~

"KAMI!!!" yelled Gohan, "VIDEL!!!"

He watched in utter horror as Nhago lifted her colossal foot off of Kami for a moment.

"What, brat, you think crushing him is too good?" jeered Nhago, "I think it's perfect...it'll only waste my energy to use acid blasts."

"You monster!!!" shouted Gohan, "You're gonna pay for that!!"

He started to fire another Kamehameha, but Nhago simply held up Videl in front of her gigantic mouth.

"One move, and Videl's a mass of veins."

"Grrrrr..." said Kuririn, "Damn---darn---I hate it when there's a hostage!"

"But it's Videl, Kuririn!" rebuked Gohan, "We gotta save her!!"

"That's easier said than done..."

"God damn it, I don't care crap!!"

"Gohan, what the---Don't!!! What do I tell your mom!?!?"

Gohan's ki flared up and he charged. Nhago, not being the fool, acid-blasted him. He countered with an energy blast. The two beams collided, then flew in opposite directions. Gohan's flew near Kuririn, and the other...

"KAMI!!!"

~

Piccolo's screams echoed the air, making Sotari a wreck of nerves.

"Piccolo, can't I just..." began Sotari.

"God damn it, I'm...AAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!" was Piccolo's response.

He began to writhe and twist on the ground, screaming even louder and more terrible than before.

"I'm...I'm..." he kept saying.

"What!? What!? What do you want me to do!?!?"

"...burning..."

"Hell!?"

"...you...heard me...AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Sotari could only sit back in shock. Here she was, helpless to do anything... Her mind raced, but the time seemed to have lost track of itself...dragging on for minutes, hours, maybe days. She didn't know, for all she saw now was a dying Piccolo...

__

Damnitdamnitdamnit, what the hell am I doing here!?!?!? I should be helping him, but I don't know what to do!! All I'm doing is sitting here...watching him die. I'm so stupid!!!!

*Mei (niece), you haven't forgotten your mission, have you* came the voice.

"God, not you again..."

*Don't you recall that you are supposed to rid me of this enemy*

"Don't you remember that he's your enemy, not mine?"

*That doesn't matter. We're family, Mei. My enemy is your enemy*

"I don't see how that makes any sense."

__

I can't do anything...I don't belong here. I shouldn't even be here. I should just kill him right now and get it over with. Or, better yet, just walk away and let Kami's death do it for me to save the agony... I can just deal with the rest later.

She got up, dusting her pants.

"I can just go..."

Sotari took a step towards the opposite direction.

"I can just leave..."

She couldn't stop staring at Piccolo.

__

Sotari said Piccolo in telepathy.

__

Piccolo Sotari replied back.

__

Have you thought about saving me yet

C-can't... It's not what I've been told to do... I'm sorry, Piccolo

Sotari took another step, but something made her stop. It was a force, an emotion that caused her to wince in pain. For another moment, something in her had snapped, fighting against that horrible voice in the back of her head...

__

Hell with it!

And this time, her feelings prevailed. She turned around. The voice's orders kept screaming in her head, trying to force their 'toy' to obey, but Sotari ignored them. It obviously didn't matter now. For once, she felt all her own, capable of making her own decisions... Capable of being human...

"Piccolo, hold still for a second!!" she yelled to him.

Another shriek was her answer.

"Oh, do SHUT UP and HOLD STILL!!"

She grabbed one of Piccolo's writhing arms and held it down. Then did the same with the other. Next, she used her knees to pin the rest of him down, but he kept shaking his head from side to side, screaming.

"Oh, Piccolo!" she said with exasperation, "Just because you're burning up doesn't mean---oh my god, you're burning up!"

Sotari couldn't help but wrinkle her nose, too. The stench of burning flesh wasn't very pleasant either.

"Okay, Piccolo... Ready or not, I'm gonna do this!"

__

You won't know how much this will hurt me...

Concentrating all her energy to one purpose, Sotari could already feel a hot energy balloon swelling up inside of her. If she didn't know how to handle it, the balloon could burst, causing her to accidentally self-destruct. But Sotari closed her eyes and felt the rippling flow of energy curse through her Saiyajin veins and form a ball of crackling, flowing energy around her. As she grew accustomed to the sudden change, Sotari opened her eyes, and stared into Piccolo's suddenly calm ones.

__

What ARE you doing shouted Piccolo in telepathy.

__

Relax! It's only an energy transfer

She gripped onto Piccolo even tighter, as if she was afraid she'd lose her grip. Slowly, as if hours had passed, Sotari could feel the beads of energy slip quietly into Piccolo's body.

__

Come on, come on… 

Sotari's ki flared up, hotter and more forceful than ever. The energy swirled around her, dancing in her eyes like waves of fire. Her head began to swim. She closed her eyes tight, trying to stay concentrated.

__

No! I can't lose my concentration now!

She felt herself slightly relax, but then tensed up again. It was harder to stay conscious now. The voice in her head was screaming louder than ever in a last-ditch effort, making it even more difficult.

*MEI!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? YOU'RE…*

__

…So…hard…So damn irritating, that bastard in my head!

The last bead went into Piccolo. Sotari suddenly froze, and her body cooled down. Her ki waves vanished, and Sotari collapsed on top of Piccolo bathed in a cold sweat, shivering like crazy. The sweat went into her eyes, causing her eyes to water and to cry the excess tears.

__

I did it…

She closed her exhausted eyes, preparing to release herself to the drowning sleep that was engulfing her…

As if by magic, the seemingly unconscious Piccolo placed his hand on her back, stroking it in a tender way.

__

Sotari-san…

Piccolo blacked out. Hearing his thoughts, Sotari smirked in self-satisfaction.

__

Who believes in forever, Piccolo-san…

The voice died, taking Sotari with it into blackness.

~

"Huh?"

Nhago saw a bright light shining from Kami.

"What's that?"

A white beam of light answered her. It shot like pistol and aimed like one, too. The beam cut off her head! With a horrible scream Nhago's head tumbled to the ground, and her body fell backwards and lay still.

"KAMI!" shouted Gohan, hopeful, "PICCOLO!"

Kami practically rose from the ground, his robes sparkling clean and all of his injuries gone. The light faded as Kami began to walk towards the little group. When he finally stopped, he smiled, and the light completely disappeared. Videl suddenly sprinted over to Gohan and threw her arms around him.

"Gohan, you did it!" she squealed in happiness, "Thanks!!"

"Aww, it was nothing," he replied, his face turning red, "Um, it was Kami's victory, really..."

"Still, you're the one who tried to save me!"

"But he's the one who got me blasted," said Kami under his breath, then louder to Gohan, "Good work, Gohan. I'm eternally grateful to you."

"You're welcome, sir, I just hope that Picc---Aw, crap!! I forgot about him!!"

As much as he liked Videl hugging him, Gohan broke away from her grasp and flew in the opposite direction.

"I have to see if he's all right!"

"Wait for us! We're coming!" yelled Kuririn flying after him.

"Hey!! What about me??? I can't fly!" shouted Videl running after them, Kami behind her.

__

He'd better not be hurt, or that Saiyajin is gonna pay!! thought Gohan.

Gohan put on another spurt of speed. Even from a distance, he could see the green of his friend's skin, but...

"What's that covering him?"

As he drew closer, realization struck him.

What's the Saiyajin doing on top of Piccolo?"

He halted and touched lightly, then immediately knelt down to feel his friend's pulse. Kuririn landed beside him, Videl puffing next to him, and Kami looking concerned at his half-son's condition.

"Is he all right?" asked Kami.

"Yeah," said Gohan with a sigh of relief, "He's alive. Not to mention fully healed..."

"I wonder how that happened," said Videl, looking over Piccolo, "Last time we saw him, he was all bloody and cut..."

"The Saiyajin," pointed out Kuririn, I think...an energy transfer, wasn't it? Gohan, is she all right?"

Gohan's hand flew to her wrist. After a few moments, his face grew grave.

"No pulse," he said flatly, "And her skin's dead cold."

Silence fell on the group.

"What...what do we do with the body?" asked Kuririn.

"We bury it, of course," replied Gohan his voice devoid of any emotion, then added, "I'll tell Piccolo..."

Videl suddenly gave a gasp.

"Look!" she pointed, "He's coming to!"

Everyone gaped on as Piccolo slowly stirred from his unconsciousness.

"Sensei!" shouted Gohan in ecstasy.

Piccolo's eyes fluttered open. He only had to look to his left to see the grinning face of his former student. His hand reached up to touch Gohan's tear-stained face.

"Gohan," he said, "I..."

"You're alive, Sensei!" cut in Gohan, "I'm so glad!!"

"Your old sensei's hard to get rid of... By the way, what happened?"

"Uh, one of those aliens resurrected and changed into something, and Kami cut off her head."

"...I see."

Piccolo looked up to see Kami beaming at him.

"Nice to see you, old man," Piccolo said, smiling slightly.

"Nice to see you, too, Piccolo," replied Kami, "I see you've met the Saiyajin..."

"Her name's Sotari."

"Yes, well..."

"She's dead, Piccolo," finished Gohan, looking down.

Piccolo fell silent----for four seconds.

"You lie," he said.

"What?"

Gohan snapped to attention.

"Why would I lie, Sensei? She's dead, can't you see? I even checked her pulse and breathing!"

"No...she can't be!"

Piccolo sat up, Sotari sliding off him. He looked down at her, his eyes full of mixed denial and sadness.

"Sotari-san..."

Before he could stop himself, Piccolo found himself stroking her long, dark hair. It was silky and well cared for, shining in the morning sun. Even when he ran his fingers through it, there were no tangles or knots. He stayed like that, in one, rare, silent moment of tenderness in the formerly tough Piccolo Daimaoh.

__

You give your life for demon, Sotari... 

A familiar roar suddenly interrupted the moment, ringing through the still air with a terrible rage. The ground even shook a bit.

"Gohan," said Piccolo in an accusing tone, "What did you say about that alien coming back to life?"

"Whoops..." was Gohan's only answer.

"HHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" screamed Nhago's skull, her bulky body holding it under one arm, "YOU'LL ALL PAY FOR CUTTING OFF MY HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Aw, crap..." said Kuririn.

A fat purple beam suddenly pierced the air, along with an echoing cry: "Ko~oga~a~suu~u Fo~oku~~ushuu~~uu (Burning Revenge!)!!!"

"What..." started Nhago, but her body was hit with the beam.

The body stumbled back, dropping the skull. Unrelenting, the beam bore into the flesh, finally succeeding piercing a clear hole through it. At this point, the body just fell altogether, with the skull still cursing.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BODY!?!?!?!?!?" she screamed, but nobody listened to her.

Instead, they were all gaping at Sotari, who was up and about firing the beam from a splayed hand.

"You damned bitch, you don't die very easily," she said in an irritated tone, then to Gohan, "You didn't destroy the entire body, did you?"

"Uh...No."

"That's what helps her resurrect, stupid! Her soul just simply goes back into her body and wakes up!"

"You left her body behind at..." began Kuririn.

"I hoped that you would've taken care of it, baka!"

"But Gohan said to..."

"You shouldn't have listened!"

Sotari took her earring and the scythe grew to its full size again.

"Now I have to do it myself."

"Sotari, wait!" shouted Piccolo, reaching out for her, but she charged. 

"You don't know what form she'll transform into!!" yelled Videl.

"All the more fun for me," was the response.

"You are so dead..."

Sotari ignored her and raised her scythe back over her head. She could see that Nhago was starting to change again, the lights shining through the holes in her skin...

"FOOL!!!" bellowed the transforming Nhago, "YOU WILL DIE!!!!!!" 

"KI~~IINI~~IIRO~O NO~O KAMA!!! (Golden scythe!)!!!"

The blades glowed gold, shining its rays at Nhago's own beams. Nhago's eyes sparkled this time, then shots of flames came out. They took the form of dragons, roaring with fiery fury at Sotari. She only smirked and flew straight at them.

"Sotari!!" Piccolo nearly yelled, watching the Saiyajin figure disappear into the consuming flames.

Nhago smirked and laughed at the effect.

"That's one!" she licked her lips, "Who's next?"

She took a step closer to the group, the searing heat making them bathe in sweat.

"Oh my god..." whispered Videl, at a loss for words, "We're so dead..."

Nhago's jaw opened, the flames dancing in her mouth. She took another step forward to gobble up Videl... And drew back?

"What..." began Piccolo, his eyes widening as Nhago felt her stomach.

A thrashing movement could be clearly seen beneath the skin, like a desperate, wild animal. Suddenly, the stomach just burst all at once, the lava-like fluids and acids splashing all over the place. Nhago screamed as Sotari burst from the flames, positively covered in the fluids and looking really pissed.

"Dirty little whore," she cursed, "You didn't have to do that."

Seeing that Nhago wasn't listening to her, Sotari leapt up and brought the scythe down on Nhago's head. It split, the fiery body literally ripping in half. Nhago's shrieks of pain rang like the echoing in the ears, but Sotari wasn't finished. She hovered a few seconds to see that Nhago was really splitting in half. Then, she raised her arms above her head, forming an energy ball the color of red with silver traces.

"I think we'd better run!!!" shouted Gohan, grabbing Videl and flinging her over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Kami!!" apologized Kuririn as he flung Kami over his shoulder.

"Wait!!" resisted Kami, "What about Mr. Popo!?"

"Forget him! He's toast!!"

Gohan and Kuririn (plus passengers) flew as fast as they could away from the Lookout, definitely sensing that it wouldn't be there if they dared to stay.

However, Piccolo just stood there, still staring at her. He didn't need words to tell anyone what he was thinking.

"PICCOLO!!! GET OUT OF THERE!!!!!" shouted Gohan and Kuririn, "LET'S

GO!!!!!!"

"Coming..." he said airily.

He turned, but looked back to see that Sotari was still charging her ball while Nhago was almost nearly done ripping in half. Sotari, sensing him, looked back at him. They locked eyes for a second, sharing, perhaps, their last moment together.

"Just move, bakayarou," said Sotari, smiling at him, "Just live."

She winked at him.

"Or I'll kick your ass!"

~

The explosion that followed sent shockwaves that could even be felt by the people hovering in the air fifty feet away. Of course, fifty feet doesn't seem much, so the effect almost sent them hurtling another fifty, but they kept their ground. Their eyes widened at the destruction. It was like watching a live volcano eruption, with fire spurting everywhere, the smoke and dust spreading out in choking clouds, and the screams. But whose screams, nobody could tell the difference. What seemed to be hours, the clouds cleared, and what they saw shocked them out of their wits. There was nothing left of the Lookout. What had been a beautiful palace on top of a colossal base was now just an empty space in the sky. A full minute of quiet was on the group as they took in the effects. Suddenly, Videl turned her head to Gohan's, shaking it with a grave smile.

"Told you to dump the body," was her remark.

"I don't anyone could've survived that," said Kuririn, his eyes so wide that they looked like they would pop, "No one..."

Piccolo said nothing.

"Well, where to now?" said Gohan.

"Let's go to Karin's," suggested Kuririn, "I just hope his tower's not been destroyed, too.

The little group flew to Karin's place, which wasn't too badly damaged, but it was still there. Karin made chamomile tea for them all to calm their nerves, but Piccolo stayed away from them, by the balcony and looking out to the sky.

"Did you see that explosion, Master Karin?" said Kuririn, "It wasn't like anything I've ever seen!"

"Poor Mr. Popo," said Kami sadly, "I'll miss him..."

A tear crept out of his eye.

"I'm sorry," said Videl, putting her hand on the old Namekian's.

"Thank you, dear," said Kami, patting her on the head, "But just imagine what it must've been like being destroyed in that..."

"Yeah," added Piccolo, "Just imagine..."

"Hello, everyone!" cut in a cheery voice.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Mr. Popo sitting on his magic carpet on the other side of the room. Jaws dropped, eyes popped, and Kami knocked over his chair to exclaim: "Mr. Popo! You're alive!!"

"Of course Mr. Popo is alive," replied Mr. Popo with his wide smile, 

"Thanks to that gracious woman who rescued me..."

Piccolo's eyes widened. He literally flew over there and grabbed the genie by the arms to shake him.

"Was it Sotari!?"

"Mr. Popo doesn't know what 'Sotari' is..."

"Well, did she have a tail?"

"Mr. Popo thinks so..."

"Mr. Popo THINKS so!?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Um...Mr. Popo is SURE that there was a tail..." corrected Mr. Popo nervously.

"Oh my god."

Piccolo dropped Mr. Popo.

__

She's alive...?

Piccolo ran back to the balcony and wildly looked around for any sign of her.

"Sotari's alive..." he said to himself, "She's alive..."

The others just stared at him.

"Your sensei's gone mental," whispered Videl to Gohan.

"I couldn't agree more..." he whispered back, cocking an eyebrow.

Piccolo's ears twitched.

"Do you think the Saiyajin did anything?" whispered Kuririn.

"Except save him, who knows..."

Piccolo hovered a few feet. He flew over the railing and down through the clouds below.

"Hey, Sensei!" called Gohan, getting up to look over the railing, 

"Sensei!"

"I don't think he'll back for a while," remarked Kami.

"No kidding."

Gohan came back to the table.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Videl, searching Gohan's face.

"I don't know...I don't know."

~

Late that night, at Goku's house, mostly everything had gone well. Goku still wasn't home, but Gohan was sure that he'd like Videl. Chi Chi had taken her well enough, but Gohan couldn't help but notice a funny look in his mother's face every time he and Videl were in the same room. Whatever it was, he couldn't figure it out.

"Oh well..." he yawned, rolling over in bed, "At least she didn't kick her out."

He listened to the crickets chirping outside his window, the sound lulling him to sleep. Far away, he could even sense out the ki of his still-moody Sensei.

__

I hope Sensei will be okay...

A slight crunch outside suddenly caught his ear. Gohan immediately jumped out of bed, ready for battle. He looked out the window. It was Videl. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching (she didn't see Gohan), then began to run away from the house. Silently, Gohan followed her, flying well above her head to keep track of her easier. Unfortunately, she found out he was there.

"Gohan!" she nearly shouted "What are you doing up there!?"

"What are you doing running away?" replied Gohan.

He landed next to Videl.

"I have to go, Gohan," said Videl, looking in the opposite direction, "I can't stay here."

"Why not? My mom doesn't hate you, and I'm sure my dad'll like you, too once he gets back!"

"It's not your parents, Gohan. I like your mom and everything, but I really can't impose on you like this..."

"It's no trouble..."

"I don't belong here..."

"Is there something wrong with our air or something?"

"No, you don't understand, Gohan. I feel fine..."

"Is it me?"

Gohan suddenly envisioned Videl laughing at him behind his back.

"No," said Videl, slightly annoyed at all the questions, "It's just that I feel like I have to find my parents."

"Your parents?" 

Gohan felt somewhat relieved.

"But I thought you said you don't know what species you are..."

"I only said I didn't know what planet I was from. That doesn't mean I didn't know what I was."

"So you're...human?"

"Of course, do I look like anything else?"

"No, but Nhago looked human...sort of."

"I won't even get into that..."

__

That takes a load off my mind... thought Gohan.

"How are you going to find your parents, by the way?" he asked.

"I don't know... I'll just find them," answered Videl.

"What if they're dead?"

"Gohan!"

"Sorry...Just being realistic."

"You sound like your mom."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not really... Anyway, I'll see you later."

Videl started again.

"Wait, Videl! said Gohan, grabbing her arm, "When will I see you again?"

She paused a moment.

"I don't know," she said quietly, "Someday, I suppose."

"I hope it's soon..."

"Maybe. Could be even years from now until we meet again..."

"But... I like you an awful lot, Videl, and I don't want you to go."

Videl took her arm away, not looking at him.

"Good night, Gohan. Thanks for everything."

"Just wait a second..."

Gohan leaned over and pecked her cheek.

"...Okay then. Bye, Videl. See you...someday."

He hovered up for a few seconds, looking on as Videl ran away again. 

Smiling a little sadly, he started to turn back, but something else caught his ears that made him smile a little wider.

"I LIKE YOU, TOO, GOHAN!!!!!"

~

Piccolo tried to concentrate, shutting his eyes even tighter, as if trying to block the image of that Saiyajin dancing around in his mind. Those eyes of hers seemed to be burned within his mind, torturing his concentration...and his place. His voice had rocked his mind from its comfortable state, banishing it to a world of hellish unanswerable questions and awkward feelings. This wasn't him, this distracted, perhaps insane Piccolo.

__

I'm better than this, he kept thinking to himself, _She's only a woman... a damn good fighter at that...shit, there I go again!!_

His eyes snapped open, his face full of anger. Angered, Piccolo knew he couldn't let a woman…a Saiyajin woman that he barely knew…get in his way. She meant nothing (NOTHING!) to him. It was over!

"ENOUGH!" he said aloud, "ENOUGH, SOTARI!!"

He got himself out of lotus position and flew upwards as fast as he could, the wind whistling past his ears. His speed didn't slow until he was far above the clouds and the light of the moon (?) shining in his eyes.

__

Maybe up here, I'll be able to concentrate.

Unfortunate for the poor Namekian, he couldn't. The Saiyajin only grew harder on his head.

**You know, it's a real weakness to have…**

"At least I can trust you about that, Sotari," said Piccolo to no one, "Since I can't trust anything else about you…"

Sotari watched him from behind a cloud.

"…It only takes one word or idea to send me in real deep… So if you think you're clever," she heard him say aloud, "Better use the right words when you talk to me."

__

What the hell's he talking about? thought Sotari, _Does he know I'm here?_

I'm going to close my eyes…Maybe it'll go away, thought Piccolo, _All I can do…Is wait for you…_

What the hell's he thinking, burning solitude?

Hell, what am I thinking!? I don't even make any sense… IT'S ALL HER FAULT!!! 

She watched him split into two forms and spar with himself. His copy was good, but his original was ANGRY. Angry at Sotari, angry at himsef… He beat the crap out of counterpart so badly that he could barely hover when the two merged again. Piccolo felt sick, a nausea swimming before his eyes. His entire body ached from his own thrashing. There wasn't enough time for him to heal himself. He could feel himself fading out of consciousness…

__

It's all her fault…

He began to fall, plunging down to the Earth below. Sotari's eyes widened. She hurriedly flew over there and caught him.

"Oof!" she grunted when her arms filled with an eight-foot Namekian.

She knew he was huge, but so heavy…

"Damn, Piccolo, you just like to make things difficult for yourself? DON'T YOU?"

Sotari gazed on his face for a few moments.

__

Such a handsome face…even for an alien.

She flew slowly, due to Piccolo's weight, until she finally came to the forest near Goku's house. Sotari set him down gently by a brook. Satisfied, she stood up, and saw Goku's house in the near distance.

__

I could…No. I can't. Not tonight…

A small smile graced her lips.

__

Not tonight…

She looked at the sleeping Piccolo. Kneeling down, she touched his face, feeling the smooth texture of his skin. As if sensing her touch, Piccolo tensed, then suddenly relaxed, breathing a deep sigh.

"You got lucky this time, bakayarou," she teased in mock revenge, "This time…"

The Saiyajin stood up and began walking off in another direction.

__

Maybe next time…

~


	4. Station Break

This is just a little something to set Sotari's mood when you read the next story. I hope you like it. It's not written by me, by the way. Anyway.  
  
~  
  
I feel it all around, I feel it in my bones  
  
My life is on the line when I'm away from home  
  
When I step out the door the jungle is alive  
  
I do not trust my ears I don't believe my eyes  
  
I will not fall in love I cannot risk the bet  
  
Cause hearts are fragile toys so easy to forget  
  
I had a dream last night the world was set on fire  
  
And everywhere I ran there wasn't any water  
  
The temperature increased, the sky was crimson red  
  
The clouds turned into smoke and everyone was dead  
  
But there's a smile on my face for everyone  
  
There's a golden coin that reflects the sun  
  
There's a lonely place that's always cold  
  
There's a place in the stars for when you get old There's razors in my bed that come out late at night  
  
They always disappear before the morning light  
  
I'm dreaming again of life underground  
  
It doesn't ever move, it doesn't make a sound  
  
And just when I think that things are in their place  
  
The heavens are secure, the whole thing explodes in my face It's just another  
  
Just another day... --Oingo Boingo, "Just Another Day" 


	5. Just an Another Day: The Case of the Slu...

Notes: Stealing some things from the anime series, Child's Toy---I have placed a character in this story that is like Child's Toy's heroine Sana-chan. She confuses the same Japanese sayings from the show (not feeling too original right now…), which are: 1.) "Let's split out guts." Means to vent our emotions and talk; 2.) "To have fish scales fall from your eyes." It's saying that you've had a great weight lifted from your shoulders.

*~§ Thanks for reading! §~*

~

__

Just a day, just a day, just an ordinary day…

She sat idly on a long extending branch in a tree that stretched its arm over the brink of a steep, sloped hill that looked a shade of vivid lime green in the bright morning sunlight. Her eyes sparkled like rare jewels as she sat up cross-legged and held her soft hands in front of her, splaying her seemingly spindly, spider-like fingertips. A furry, silky brown tail made lazy strokes behind her, tracing some unknown yet graceful pattern in the springtime air. Such peace in the air usually would've made her shun and sulk, but the only complaint was a gentle sigh from her pale-plink lips. The lady Saiyajin closed her eyes, thinking of the last moments she had with a certain Namekian…

~ (Flashback) ~

__

She watched him split into two forms and spar with himself. His copy was good, but his original was ANGRY. Angry at Sotari, angry at himsef… He beat the crap out of counterpart so badly that he could barely hover when the two merged again. Piccolo felt sick, a nausea swimming before his eyes. His entire body ached from his own thrashing. There wasn't enough time for him to heal himself. He could feel himself fading out of consciousness…

*It's all her fault…*

He began to fall, plunging down to the Earth below. Sotari's eyes widened. She hurriedly flew over there and caught him.

"Oof!" she grunted when her arms filled with an eight-foot Namekian.

She knew he was huge, but so heavy…

"Damn, Piccolo, you just like to make things difficult for yourself? DON'T YOU?"

Sotari gazed on his face for a few moments.

Such a handsome face…even for an alien.

She flew slowly, due to Piccolo's weight, until she finally came to the forest near Goku's house. Sotari set him down gently by a brook. Satisfied, she stood up, and saw Goku's house in the near distance.

*I could…No. I can't. Not tonight…*

A small smile graced her lips.

*Not tonight…*

She looked at the sleeping Piccolo. Kneeling down, she touched his face, feeling the smooth texture of his skin. As if sensing her touch, Piccolo tensed, then suddenly relaxed, breathing a deep sigh.

"You got lucky this time, bakayarou," she teased in mock revenge, "This time…"

The Saiyajin stood up and began walking off in another direction.

*Maybe next time…*

~ (End flashback) ~

"Maybe next time…"

Her eyelids opened and then half-closed themselves. An old spark of hating self-reproach lit in her eyes.

"I shouldn't have said that…Shouldn't have even saved him. Or anyone else."

She leaned on the branch, causing a serious bend in it. Her fingernails dug deep into the bark as she felt her human side slipping back behind the shadow of evil. Deep inside, she could feel the desperate thrashing of a trapped animal, the intensity…

__

No, not again…!

There was a shudder, and she lifted her eyes up to the sky once more. The quiet, brooding, evil energy cursed rapidly in her veins. She gripped the branch again, her nails digging even deeper, and the Saiyajin side of her rejoiced at its revival. Before she was even conscious of it, she could already hear that familiar click in her mind, then the ever-present voice, commanding and controlling, spoke.

*Back to normal, eh, mei (niece)?*

No immediate response was uttered. The Saiyajin woman could almost swear she heard a chuckle in her head. She scowled as she felt her fingers drive deep through the bark.

__

"What do you want now," she said forcefully, her voice full of venom.

*You have a mission, mei. And you have failed me…*

'Mei' felt her chest tighten with hatred. If only that voice had a body, for her hands were itching for blood…

"It was only a misunderstanding," she said with forced control, feeling her ki rise a little, "A mere, little…misunderstanding…"

*…Is that the only thing…?*

"…Yes…"

The voice didn't seem to note the hesitation in her voice.

*…I can only hope, mei, that you do not fail me again. Though I am not here, I can still control you…Your every waking thought is of _my_ creation, and you will do as I say.*

She could hear the emphasis of ownership. A sharp snap of bark rang though the air, and she leaned dangerously forward.

"I will not…" she said quite mechanically, "…Fail you…"

There was a hesitation.

"…Master…"

*Good.*

A great amount of satisfaction could be heard in that voice. The voice's niece, however, was furious. Another bit of weight on the broken limb and it fell off the tree altogether with a decided final crack. The woman Saiyajin hovered in the air, allowing herself to be swallowed by the hot feeling waves of ki. Her distant eyes looked perfectly spiteful, but a tinge of sadness edged her eyes. She could almost feeling like crying if she wasn't so worried looking weak. Even by herself, there was that feeling… A pale white hand brushed against her dry cheek, wiping away an imaginary tear.

"Stupid," she told herself, "You don't have tears…"

Another few moments passed before she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be taken over, permitting her own ki to take life and sweep her to whatever destination the voice in her head desired. She had no right of will in this matter. The only reason why she was there was because she alone possessed what so few people did…Power. A frightful word in its own right; Pain to one is happiness to another…

Sotari reopened her eyes as she felt her human side surface briefly for an argument. She listlessly said something aloud to counter, but it wasn't long before she could feel her Saiyajin half beat it down again. A clash of human and Saiyajin blood, two different personalities and feelings…No telling if one would succumb to another, though neither really got full control of their host. It was like having two different diseases at once. The half-Saiyajin sighed, reflecting a brief thought.

__

Who would win in the end?

She brushed this aside. It wasn't worth thinking about. Besides, there were other businesses to attend to…

__

Piccolo…

The image of the proud Namekian instantly bobbed up in her mind. A flush of pink crept on her cheeks. Her human side saw its chance and grabbed at its owner's feelings. Sotari soon found herself sighing again and thinking extremely dumb thoughts…Before the Saiyajin half could revert back to business.

__

Piccolo…Next time, next time…Waiting is stupid. I can hardly hold my fingers to count the shaking days…

~

Gohan sighed, relaxing into his cross-legged position and shaking his head. It was as plain as day. Piccolo…was unhappy. The thought shook Gohan quite considerably. For the past few weeks, he had seen the changes in his former teacher. He had increased his visits to the Son House, never staying long but long enough to wait for Gohan to go and spar. The spars, thought Gohan as he painfully rubbed a bruise, were harder than he ever remembered. It was as if Piccolo was using Gohan for more of a practice dummy than a flesh-and-blood partner. 

Then there were the dreams…Piccolo himself had willingly (a surprise itself!) told him. Namekians never dream, least of all a former Demon King…They were visions, Piccolo had said, but he had had _real, living, breathing dreams_… They were never the same every night, but there was always that woman, always very high above his head on cliff or mountain of some sort. She sometimes looked at him darkly, but she never spoke or went near him. Sometimes there would be a small, hidden smile gracing her small lips, but a smirk would show every once in a while, like she knew something secretive. Other times she'd hold that menacing sheath in her hand or meditating peacefully during a strong wind or storm. But she always there, always holding back and her eyes seeming to be on the brink of tears, for they seemed so full of happiness to see him…

But slightly more disturbing than the dreams was one particular visit Piccolo paid to the Son House, taken place two weeks after the Kami Lookout incident. It had been the middle of the night, Gohan remembered. He himself had been able to sleep, so he had stayed up in his room sitting on the window seat, fingered a farewell present Videl had left for him in sealed envelope. His eyes had been reading over and over the letter that she had left him, when suddenly, that a pair of shining black eyes had appeared at the window. Gohan recalled nearly falling out of the window seat when he had finally recognized it was Piccolo. He had quickly slid open the window, but before he had been able to even start to murmur his apologies, his former sensei had already flown into the room.

"Gohan," he had said, "Get me some fruit."

"What?" Gohan had replied, raising both eyebrows and looking extremely stunned _(Piccolo doesn't even eat!! What's the matter with him!?)_.

"You heard me!"

"W-well…What kind?"

"I don't know!"

Indeed, Gohan had hurriedly gone downstairs and fetched a varied armload of fruit: strawberries, crystal pears, Fuji apples, plumcots, and blueberries… When he did finally manage to stagger back into his room without dropping anything, his mouth had fallen open and had quickly dumped everything on his bed, for he was shocked so. Piccolo had been calmly sitting cross-legged on the window seat, the moonlight at his back, reading _Videl's letter to Gohan._

Immediately, Gohan had turned beet red and was sorely tempted to snatch the letter back, but he had known better than to do so. Piccolo hadn't seemed to notice him, and when he had finished reading, he had tossed the letter on the floor. Gohan had instantly lunged at it and had tucked it under his mattress. After securing it, he had dared himself throw a quick glare at his sensei. Again, Piccolo hadn't even blinked. The boy had been astounded. He had tried glowering at him a second time. That time, however, Piccolo had reacted, somewhat in a regular, Piccolo-like fashion.

"You want your lungs ripped out, boy?"

Gohan had quickly shaken his head, having never heard that threat before, and not wanting it acted out. Satisfied, Piccolo had given a quick grunt, a small acknowledgment for Gohan to ease up. He hadn't. The poor boy had been too curious to relax. Gohan had watched with keen interest as Piccolo held up Videl's present to Gohan up to the moonlight. It had been one of the two crystals from her necklace, and it had glistened blue in the soft nightly light. Again, the small boy had been enticed to snatch the affectionate thing away. He remembered taking one step before he was stopped again.

"You and…Videl," he had said quite slowly in a very confused, "You…_love_ each other?"

There wasn't another time Gohan had never felt so uncomfortable. He had stuttered and sputtered until he had managed to say a little lamely: "Y-yeah…I guess so…"

Piccolo had looked pained. It had been a strange look for his face, and Gohan wasn't used to seeing it. Still, he had known what Piccolo meant.

"Yes," he had said again, more assured, "Yes, we do."

"How?"

Yet again, Gohan hadn't known what to say.

"I don't know," he had said, his face flushing a little, "We just do."

The former Demon King had grunted unsatisfactorily.

"You didn't tell each other?"

"No need to…"

"Where is she now then?"

Gohan had lifted his chin, thinking Piccolo slightly impertinent.

"Looking for her parents…And I know how important it is for her, Piccolo."

The latter hadn't say anything.

"The night she left I wanted her to stay," Gohan had said further, "I tried convincing her, but she was…"

"I have no sympathy for either of you," bluntly interrupted Piccolo had.

The boy had drawn himself up. Where his heart was concerned, this had been a typical Gohan reaction.

"We don't need it," he had replied shortly, in a tone he had never used before, "Especially yours. What do _you_ know?"

Piccolo had stood up to his full height and his face screwed up in anger. He had reached down and grabbed the front of Gohan's shirt, lifting him high in the air. Sorry as the boy had been for his words, he hadn't dared to retract his words. No, the son of Piccolo Daimao wasn't one to forgive so easily… Gohan had closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the expected blow. When it didn't come, he had opened his eyes and blinked. That pained expression was back on Piccolo's face, looking more sorrowful close up. The Namekian sighed heavily and put Gohan back on the floor. He then marched over to the bed, grabbed a Fuji apple, and then flew out the window back into the enveloping darkness.

__

"Humans," Gohan had heard him mutter with a forceful breath.

More clearly afterwards, Gohan had heard his former sensei spar with his split forms with ki beams and such. He himself hadn't slept easy since then. How could he? With his friend acting so strangely…

"It's that stupid Saiyajin woman," the half-Saiyajin said under his breath, "What has she done to him?"

He watched now as Piccolo marched over to him in a fitful anger.

"Let's spar," he barked at Gohan, causing the boy to cringe slightly.

Almost immediately the latter leapt up. Piccolo scowled at him and rose in the air, powering up. A little reluctantly, Gohan did the same.

"Whatever this means," the latter muttered as he watched Piccolo form a ki ball, "I hope it goes away…"

~

Bulma stood in front of her full-length mirror, examining herself for a date with Yamcha. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt and fixed her hair again. Then she proceeded to undo her hair, pick out another outfit, do her hair again, and look in the mirror to only repeat the process all over again. This was typical for Bulma, especially with Yamcha on her mind. Finally, after her final inspection, Bulma was satisfied with herself. 

However, something didn't seem right. It was as if the skirt on her outfit didn't match with the shoes, or she forgot to paint her nails perfectly. Bulma looked into the mirror again. No, her outfit was flawless, with no mistakes: everything matched and in order. But Bulma still wasn't pleased. What was it? What was wrong? However, Bulma didn't have much time to think about it; the sound of a car honked outside her window.

"Coming, Yamcha!" she called, her look still lingering on the image reflecting in the mirror.

The car honk sounded again, with impatience.

"OKAY, I'M COMING!!!" yelled Bulma, with equal impatience, and stomping her way to the balcony.

She slid open the balcony-door and walked to the railing with an air of a super model. Yamcha stood, leaning against his white hovercar, looking up at her.

"Hey, babe, you look hotter than usual," said Yamcha, raising an eyebrow with interest.

__

Hmph. That's what he always to says to me---and every girl he chances to flirt with, thought Bulma rather irritatingly, a bitter look on her face.

She watched as Yamcha kept shifting his weight restlessly from foot to foot and looking down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Bulma: a sure sign that he was hiding something.

"Come on, babe, we'll miss the movie if you don't hurry up," said Yamcha looking at his watch.

Bulma watched with pleasing content as Yamcha squirmed under her sharp surveillance.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" she stated suddenly, her voice accusing and sharp.

"What are you talking about," said Yamcha uneasily, "You know I can't hide anything from you, babe…"

"Shut up, _baka_, I know perfectly well what you're up to," said Bulma, her eyes narrowing on Yamcha as anger began to build within her, "I know what you doing. You wanna break up with me, don't you, only you wanted to do it front of my face instead of on the phone."

"Bull! T...that's not it, Bulma, I..."

"I SAID SHUT UP."

Silence followed. Finally, Yamcha looked at Bulma squarely in the eye.

"Okay, I admit it," he said flatly, "You're right. I just don't think it's working out, Bulma."

More silence. Bulma kept looking at Yamcha, who was looking down at the ground again, so it was hard to hear what he said next.

"I...I just want you to be happy, Bulma, and I don't think that happiness would be with me... I think we'd just be better off if we were friends..."

Bulma's rage finally blew up.

"HOW DARE YOU TELL A DIRTY, STINKING LIE LIKE THAT TO ME!!!!" she screeched at the top of her lungs at Yamcha, who cringed, "THAT'S THE WORST LOAD OF CRAP I'VE EVER HEARD FROM YOU, YAMCHA, AND YOU KNOW IT!!!"

"But..." began Yamcha's weak defense.

"BUT, MY ASS, YOU _BAKAYAROU_!!! DON'T YOU GO AROUND SAYING THAT TO ME!!!!"

Bulma paused her screaming tirade. She was sure that the whole country could hear her, but she didn't care. Then, for the next ten minutes, she continued the seemingly endless verbal assault on Yamcha. She continued firing wave after wave of unprintable words and insults at him until finally, after working herself up to such a state and tears spilling out of her eyes, and her day totally ruined, she stormed inside, slamming the balcony door.

Yamcha looked up again and hesitantly pulled the earplugs out of his ears, unsure if Bulma was going to come out again and yell at him some more. A girl with purple hair timidly peeked out from the backseat of his hovercar.

"Is she gone?" she squeaked, pulling some ear plugs out of her ears.

"Yep, she's gone," replied Yamcha after a few minutes, looking up at the balcony door.

-§-

Inside, Bulma lay on her bed, sobbing. She looked like a mess, but she didn't care. Racing through her mind were just thoughts of Yamcha this, Yamcha that; memories of what they used to do together. He was so charming, so thoughtful, so… Bulma sniffled. But somehow, those memories always ended with Bulma yelling at Yamcha for flirting with another girl. 

Bulma frowned through her tears at the most recent incident. She and Yamcha had gone to an amusement park last week, and Yamcha wanted to go on the roller coaster. It had so many twists, turns, and hills, that Bulma was afraid to get sick, so Yamcha abandoned Bulma by the ice cream stand, holding both their snow cones. 

Her last glimpse of Yamcha before his ride on the roller coaster started, was he slyly putting both his arms around two twin girls sitting next to him on both sides. Bulma recalled that after the ride, she had slapped Yamcha so hard that some passerby thought someone had won the grand prize at the Cactus of Strength. Bulma managed a small smile.

__

It was bound to be over anyway.

However, this comforting thought didn't last very long. Instead, Bulma sat up and bawled so loud that Mrs. Briefs came running up to Bulma's door. She knocked with concern for her daughter written all over her face.

"Bulma, honey," she called, her voice slightly muffled coming through the door, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Bulma barely managed to say in her normal voice, "But bring me a some double gin…"

"Um, okay, honey."

Mrs. Briefs turned around to leave for the downstairs to continue her dusting. As soon as Bulma heard her mother go away, she picked up the phone and dialed a number. A raspy-sounding voice of a middle-aged woman at the other end said: "Hi, Parla's Junk Food Eatery…"

"Right," interrupted Bulma tearfully, "I'd like…"

"Somebody break up with ya, sweetie?" said the voice at the other end.

"Yes!" Bulma said, then told the person all the details.

Every once in a while, Bulma could sense the woman nodding sympathetically and saying soothing things.

"…You want to order the Italian pick-me-up cake, too, sweetie?"

"Yes!" said Bulma.

"Okay, that's one medium half-cheese, half-vegetarian pizza, one kid's Hawaiian pizza, one jumbo Pepsi, two medium Coca-Colas, one whole carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream, two ice cream sundaes with raspberry and chocolate sauce…"

Bulma nodded and said quite tearfully, "Just deliver it to the Capsule Corp. mansion!"

The lady at the other seemed to smile.

"Don't worry, sweetie, you'll get over him soon enough."

"…*sniff* I hope you're right…Thanks ever so much."

"No problem, my daughter's just…"

There was a shout in the backround.

"Uh-oh…Gotta go soon, sweetie. Boss looks mad. You should see…Well, another time, sweetie. That'll be $65.89, by the way."

"*sniff*…Thanks again…"

-§-

By dusk, Bulma was still shut up in her room, still crying fresh tears. The makeup on her face was all cleaned up, her hair looking slightly neater, and her clothes changed, but Bulma was still heart-stricken. Normally, when Bulma was a mood like this, she'd call up Yamcha, but he usually made her feel worse about it anyway and this concerned him, so Bulma couldn't do that. By chance, she looked out the balcony window. Her room had a clear view of the dome-shaped training room, where nowadays, Vegeta was training beyond his hardest to become a Super Saiyajin, like Goku, or what Vegeta called him, Kakarott. Bulma sniffed.

"What on Earth does he do in there all day," she wondered out loud as she wrote in her diary.

Inside the training room, Vegeta began to charge up his best attack. Concentrating on the golden ball of energy forming in his hands, Vegeta gave a sideways glance to the numerous little, floating balls in the air. He smirked at the thought of Mr. Briefs, a mere human being, able to create something as handy as these little robots for training. They were just so useful, those humans. Vegeta's smirk disappeared as his thoughts unexpectedly turned to someone else in the Briefs family: Bulma. What about her? Vegeta actually stopped charging the ball of energy to think.

__

What about her?

Suddenly realizing he lost concentration, Vegeta swore at himself for doing so, over such a minor matter. A human like Bulma didn't mean anything to him… Did it? True, she, like her father, could create training robots like these to make him into a Super Saiyajin, but was there anything more? Like when she watched him battle that green-haired freak on Planet Namek, even though he could easily destroy her, like the weakling she was…? Was there anything more to Bulma than just her hot temper and absolute stubbornness? Vegeta's thoughts cursed through his mind as he once again began to focus his energy…

-§-

"Bulma, honey, supper's ready," said Mrs. Briefs, who was, once again, outside of Bulma's door.

"I'm not hungry…" replied Bulma, her eyes still focused on the dome structure outside.

"Okay, then honey, come down when you feel like it," responded Mrs. Briefs as she once again descended down the stairs.

Suddenly, there was a _huge_ explosion sounding outside that caused the ground to shake.

"It's an earthquake!" screamed Mrs. Briefs, missing a step on the stairs and tumbling to the bottom.

"The training room…!" whispered Bulma, who had just witnessed from her window, the destruction of the dome structure outside.

At first, she made no reaction. There wasn't anyone in there, was there? Maybe there had been a short circuit of some kind and triggered the gravity machine to haywire and… Then Bulma gasped at an afterthought in her mind.

"Vegeta…!"

-§-

"VEGETA!!!!!!!" screamed Bulma, literally flying down the stairs from her bedroom, vaulting over her mother on the floor, and out the side door.

__

You better not be hurt, baka!!

Blinking with the setting sun in her eyes, Bulma rushed over to the giant wreckage of what used to be the training room. Frantically searching for Vegeta with a will of a madwoman, she picked her way through pieces of metal and circuits. And she was doing all this wearing only spandex shorts, sandals, and a loose tank top.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?!?" she yelled, half-hoping Vegeta would hear here.

Nothing and no one answered her, save for maybe some birds her voice disturbed from a tree nearby. Bulma grew pink in the face with anger.

__

Maybe he isn't here at all, thought Bulma angrily; _Beast is probably behind a tree or something…_

Something moved slightly behind an enormous something that almost looked like the remains of the gravity machine. Bulma gasped. It was Vegeta's leg! Tears suddenly began welling up in her eyes, for relief, but she wiped them away before she even realized she had them.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried as she began pulling away the debris.

"Leave me alone, woman," muttered the battered-up Vegeta as Bulma finally succeeded in uncovering him, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not, Vegeta, and you know it!," snapped Bulma, her hands on her hips and her face slowly turning into a pout.

"_LEAVE ME ALONE_!"

Vegeta winced in pain as Bulma tried to help him up. He shrugged her supporting arm away and almost at once, he fell down. Bulma smiled slightly in satisfaction with that "I-told-you-so" look on her face.

"Told ya so," she told him, her arms crossed now, "Do that anymore and you'll be in worse pain than you are now."

__

"Onna!" snapped Vegeta, one of his eyes swollen shut while looking up at Bulma, _"Shut up."_

"Well, it's true!" replied Bulma in an almost motherly way, "Just look at yourself! You're in no condition of train for at least a few weeks! I can tell you've…"

But Vegeta wasn't listening while he tried to get up again. He winced. Somewhat unwillingly, he looked at him arm. His motion had caused fresh blood to stream from wounds in his shoulder, elbow, and hand. Examining the rest of his body, Vegeta silently had to admit that Bulma was right. Defeated, he held up his hand to Bulma, whose reaction was total surprise. A silence of a few moments followed before Vegeta spoke to Bulma.

"Aren't you going to help me up," he smirked, "Bulma."

Bulma's expression softened. She even almost saw Vegeta wink at her with his good eye. Maybe he wasn't such a baka after all.

-§-

"Lacerations on his arms, chest, legs, and even on his forehead," summed up Dr. Briefs to Bulma, who was sitting by Vegeta's bed side, "But no broken bones, concussions, or fractures fortunately. He's stronger than he looks. He should get better within one to three weeks."

"What do you mean, 'one to three weeks…!?" Vegeta weakly complained from under the sheets, bandages covering his injuries, "Don't you realize how much training I'll miss out!? I'm already behind Kakarott and…"

"You heard what he said, Vegeta!" cut in Bulma, her face flushing slightly, "So get used to waiting around in bed while you get better!!"

"But I'm a Saiyajin, woman! Our wounds heal more quickly than you think!"

"I don't care about your stupid heritage, ass, I care about you!"

"Well, I don't care about you, so why…"

"We're just trying to help, so I think…"

Mr. Briefs smiled as he turned his back on the squabbling couple to go have some dinner.

"I think I'll leave you two alone…" he murmured as he slowly closed the door.

Bulma and Vegeta hadn't noticed Mr. Briefs leaving, let alone anything else going on outside. Even if you dropped a bomb outside the window at the moment, they wouldn't have cared; they were just too concerned with their argument. By now, in a space of a few seconds, the subject had shifted from Vegeta's condition to Bulma's love life.

"… Why do you go out with that jerk Yamcha anyway!?" yelled Vegeta.

"_N…nani!?!?_ What do you know about me and Yamcha!?" snapped Bulma, slightly caught off guard.

"Because you some sort of thing to do with him today, didn't you? I can tell, because I could smell your perfume all the way from the training room, woman; it reeked like hell!"

"Well…" Bulma trailed off, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, "I did… But… We broke up… [And my perfume does not stink!]"

Vegeta was silent. Bulma was now shaking and sobbing in her hands: an instant replay of the afternoon's event. After a tense minute, Vegeta put a hand on one of Bulma's. Bulma abruptly stopped her crying to stare at him. His coal black eyes almost twinkled as he spoke as gently as he could to her.

"Stupid Onna…" he said a little mockingly, "You're not alone in that, you know."

Bulma was speechless, almost in shock. Vegeta had _never_ acted this way towards her before. So she just sat in her chair; mouth slightly open, her blue eyes wide, and her hand in Vegeta's, who seemed surprisingly sincere, especially for someone of his character. His hand still holding Bulma's, he painfully sat up. After doing so, Vegeta looked Bulma in the eye, as if the matter he was to speak was of life-and-death importance.

"Bulma," he said, a bit startled at himself, "I…I understand how you feel."

Bulma's heart took another jump.

__

Vegeta!?

"But…" began Bulma, her eyes casting downwards a little shyly, "…how could you know…?"

"…How you feel?" finished Vegeta, "I've never told anyone about my love life, Onna…"

"Sounds like you're…"

"I'm not going to, Onna!" Vegeta snapped suddenly, the moment of tenderness gone, "It's just…"

He took away his hand, and Bulma's hand felt cold once more. The proud Saiyajin flopped himself back on the pillows and turned away on his side, painful as it was.

"What's the matter with you anyway, Vegeta!" Bulma said, her eyes flashing and her face flushing, "You honestly infuriate me!!! Why are you so…so…difficult!! I just don't understand you!"

"Same here," muttered Vegeta, and Bulma glared at him.

"Fine," she said in a sarcastic tone, "That's two things we have in common. Anything else?"

"We both," said Vegeta a little thoughtfully, "…Have very short tempers…And we both know Kakarotto. And we…hate each other…"

"Well…"

Bulma eyed him curiously.

"Then…I guess…You aren't so bad, Vegeta…"

~

Late that night, Gohan was relieved of his sores with a good, long soak in a steaming bath outside under the stars. Chi Chi shook her in disapproval and wagged a finger at her only son.

"That Piccolo!" she said, and Gohan started to roll his eyes, "Don't roll your eyes at me, young man! Honestly! Ever since that…that…_alien_ has started his visits you've been terrible!! You neglect your…"

Gohan sat up, his face indignant.

__

"Alien?" he repeated.

Chi Chi looked at her son in surprise.

"He is, isn't he?" she said, her voice wavering slightly, "A Normikin or something like that."

__

"Namekian," said Gohan with exasperation, "Or if you want a more native spelling, 'Namekjin'."

His mother looked more startled than ever.

"You never been like this before, Gohan," she said a little mournfully, "Before that whole Garlic Jr. deal, you were a perfect angel!! Now look what Goku and his…"

Gohan disappeared under a very thick sheet of water, making his mother's voice quite incomprehensible to him. Chi Chi gave an irritated sigh and left for the house in a huff, only taking the time to call out to her son: "Don't take too long in the tub, Gohan!"

Only a gurgle of bubbles answered her. She half-slammed the front door in her agitated state and headed towards the linen closet for sorting. As far as that, nothing was passed between them for some time. The half-Saiyajin himself stayed awhile in the tub while his mother whizzed about in her cleaning fit, first tackling the linen closet, then downstairs for dishes, living room for dusting…

"That boy…"

It was a good hour before Gohan started to actually wash up, having enjoyed the bath for the most warm part of the fire's life below his tub, which was now starting to dwindle a little. He leaned out of the tub, his skin shining white against starlight, and snatched the scrubbing brush. As he began to lather, a swarm of pink bubbles unexpectedly gurgled up in front of him. The half-Saiyajin stared at the spot. He hadn't done anything. 

Anything capable of defying explanation interested Gohan, and once more he dove under the surface. His blinked once under. Twice… Nothing. Just as he was satisfied enough to return for a breath, a pair of bright pink eyes materialized and winked at him. Gohan's eyes widened so much it hurt. He hurriedly pushed up with his feet and threw his head back, breathing deeply and hard.

__

"Bon Dieu!" he exclaimed in French, then, "What was that!?"

Another cloud of bubbles replied, a female-sounding voice shouting under the surface. Suddenly, like shotgun, a pair of furry pink paws with black spots raised in the air and grabbed hold of Gohan's neck. You could imagine the poor boy's face when a pull brought up to the surface a smiling, young girl's face with sopping wet, flaming electric pink hair. Gohan turned a _very_ deep shade of red. The girl giggled and smiled even wider, opening her bright, shining eyes.

"Hi there!" she said, "Do you know where I can find Piccolo-sama?"

"…"

"Who are you?" she said without a hitch, "I'm the Little Kitty Love Nut Goddess! But you can call me Futomi if you want (*wink*)!"

"…"

A puff of green smoke billowed out beside the tub, revealing a very small boy with spiky green hair. His bright blue eyes twinkled fitfully as he dusted off an imaginary speck off the rolled-up sleeve of his white shirt. The rest of his attire was black: black suspenders, black pants, black tie, and black shoes. He coughed a little and held a clipboard tightly in his grip while an ink pen balanced expertly tucked behind his ear.

"And this is Jito!" said L.K.L.N.G. waving a pink paw at him, "My best friend!"

"Does _he_ know anything about Piccolo?" said the boy, looking at Gohan with doubtful face, "That Namekian's harder to find than…"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shrieked Gohan, leaping out from the tub and running like lightning to the house, not bothering with a towel or anything.

Futomi squealed and covered her eyes, though obviously delighted at the sight of Gohan's wet butt in the starlight. Jito rolled his eyes and snorted.

"You just _had_ to be in the tub, didn't you?" he accused her as she rose, cross-legged and fully clothed, from the tub.

"W-w-we-e-ell," she said, dragging the word out as she tossed aside the 'paws' and wrung a bit of her hair.

"He's _eight _for God's sake! _You're_ at least a few _thousand _years old! How sick can…"

"_Oh_, Jito! It was _only_ a joke!" interrupted Futomi as she grabbed Gohan's abandoned towel and dried her hair.

Jito still shook his head with his arms crossed. A pout came across Futomi's face.

"You're such a rotten sport, Jito!" she said bitterly, sticking her tongue out at him, "I don't see _why_ they made you my assistant! You don't know anything!"

"I know how to file papers," said Jito curtly, one of his eyebrows twitching, "And write up the reports for King Enma and the…"

"_Oh_, _such_ unpleasantness!"

"Those things _are _necessary, Futomi, if you want to become a _licensed_ love goddess…"

"Ooooh!" cried Futomi, clasping her hands and her eyes shining like stars, "I've _always_ wanted to be a _licensed_ love goddess!! Not having to always ask Sensei for permission and all those _useles_s field assignment forms…"

"…Which **_I_** fill out!!" barked Jito.

"What's the matter with you, Jito!" said Futomi, her eyes blazing, "If you have a problem, split your butt!"

Jito's jaw dropped, and Futomi beamed at him.

"WHAT!?!?!?!? Split your butt!!!"

"Not _me_!" said Futomi in her bell-like voice; "_You're_ the one with the problem! Don't need to split _mine_, thank you very much!"

"It's split our _guts_, not _butts_!" shrieked Jito, his face turning pink, "What kind of…"

"Never mind!" cut in Futomi, waving a hand at him, "You've had your eyes fall from fish scales!"

"HUH!?!?"

"The great weight lifted from your shoulders at last!!" proclaimed Futomi, spreading her arms and waving them about as a sparkling, pink curtain of stars surrounded them in a mist-like way as fireworks exploded above their heads, "Aren't you FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

"…"

A few seconds passed before the bright display subsided. Futomi lowered her arms.

"Do you want to lie down?" ventured Jito uneasily, "And you got the saying wrong again…It's to have fish scales fall from your _eyes_…"

"Meow!" replied Futomi, slipping on her cat-paw gloves again and pawing the ground as whiskers mysteriously grew on her face, "_Meow_! Let's go matchmaking!!"

She leapt up in the air and flew towards the front door of the Son House. Jito slapped his forehead with his hand.

"Good God…"

Before he could even get any near her, Futomi had rung the doorbell. As if fascinated by the ring, she pressed it again and again. It was when Jito managed to wrestle her from the button when there was a cautious creak of a door. Futomi immediately shoved Jito out of the way and put on her brightest, most dazzling smile she could muster.

"HHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" she screeched in a voice shrill enough to make Jito's teeth grind, "I'M THE LITTLE KITTY LOVE NUT GODDESS AND THIS IS MY FRIEND JITO AND WE'VE COME TO ASK ABOUT PICCOLO THE NAMEKIAN ON THIS PLANET NOT THE ONE ON TOP OF KAMI'S LOOKOUT BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THAT'S KAMI AND WELL ANYWAY WE WANT TO SEE WHERE PICCOLO IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO SEE HIM AND WE…"

Chi Chi gave a short scream and slammed the door. Undaunted, Futomi knocked again, crazy as she was…She knocked again…And again… Her friend saw the hazardous shadow behind the door and managed to pull her away before Chi Chi appeared again---with frying pan in one hand and a rolling pin in the other. High in the air and well away from Chi Chi's reach, Jito commenced to a stern lecture to Futomi, who only giggled and laughed at Jito's warnings.

"Silly Jito!" she said, "You're worked up about nothing!"

"NOTHING!?!?" Jito yelled, waving a fist at her, "I've half a mind to punch you just now, Futomi! We haven't got any closer to finding Piccolo with you getting us…"

There was another spasm of laughter from Futomi. Jito turned a dangerous shade of red and his electric blue eyes were as black as thunder.

__

"Will you listen to me!!" he hollered in her face and shaking her shoulder, "We need…"

"Jito!!"

"I said…!"

__

"No! Jito!" shouted Futomi desperately, frantically waving her arm at something, _"THERE!! PICCOLO-SAMA!!"_

Jito stole a look, and Futomi smiled widely.

"Where? I don't…"

She pecked him on the cheek and Jito jerked his head at her, wearing a mixed expression of shock and fury.

"What the devil, Futomi, I ought to…"

His eyes widened as they stared past her grinning face. He pushed her aside and flew downwards, and Futomi followed him. They flew on for some miles until they had come what Jito had seen. For there, just at the crest of a treeless hill, was Piccolo.

~

A pair of eyes twinkled in the starlight, a malicious glint of delight in them. Their gaze was fixed on an open window in the upper floors of Capsule Corp. The eyes rose, along with their owner, a shapely and shadowy figure, obviously female and with a fixed purpose… She rose in the air and flew up the window, peeking in. Yes, it was the one she wanted… The woman glided in, eyeing with pleasure at a certain sleeping figure in a double bed tucked quite cozily in the corner. Then, the figure turned over, pulling the blanket tighter over himself, and the woman's Saiyajin tail twitched excitedly. Here!

__

Vegeta…How long it has been…

She strode up to the bed, her gloved hand raised. Her round, blue eyes shone with a strange, lustful glimmer. The slumbering prince seemed to sense her, and moved uneasily in his sleep. Instantly the sparkle in her eyes faded as she retracted her hand, taking care to lower her ki, which gave away much more than her presence… Vegeta seemed to wake up, and the women took half a step back, being not afraid, but on high alert. Then---it was then that she saw _her---_an object to be hated for that ever-present entirety of hers…

__

Hideous…

Bulma rolled over on top of Vegeta, snoring softly. Her hand felt his strong, bare chest, and she relaxed. She was having one of those dreams again…One of those when she was desperately running and looking for something terribly important, but she didn't know what it was, and someone---or something---huge and powerful, was towering above her with a gigantic dagger or sword above Bulma's head. Of course, it was all a dream, but there was a chance---minute as it was---that it just might possibly be real… 

Why, right at this moment, she could see that figure above her, no longer dangling a sword or a dagger above her head, but a small, shiny knife with a simple gold handle. It looked almost like a toy or a scalpel… Bulma's eyes widened as she saw a flash, the blended streak of something silver being thrust down…Down on her head… Bulma screamed in her subconscious, as well as for real. She forced her eyes open in the darkness and sat up, her face flushed. The woman whipped her head to her right, at Vegeta. His back was to her, seeming to be struggling with something… 

"Onna!" he snapped, looking briefly over his shoulder, "Get away…"

Bulma's eyes popped open as the frowning face of the figure in her dream suddenly appeared over Vegeta's shoulder, scowling even more so when she saw Bulma. The latter wildly searched around, and gasped. Her hand crept cautiously over the handle of the knife, whose blade was shining innocently in the dim starlight. No blood was stained on either the bed or the knife. Bulma noted though, with some astonishment and relief, that the corner of her pillow had been slashed. If it hadn't been for Vegeta… She looked to see the latter on the floor now, pinning the assailant to the carpet, and seeing his face when the prince got his first good look at her…

"Yamako!?" he cried out in surprise, and nearly let himself relax his grip, but his eyes hardened again in time.

The one called Yamako scowled and eased her struggle. She gave a queer grin at Vegeta.

"Yes," she replied with some unknown self-satisfaction, "I am Yamako…It has been a long time, hasn't it, Vegeta-san?"

"Don't call me that," snarled Vegeta venomously, "It's been over for some time now…"

"What?" Bulma entered the conversation, edging towards the side of the bed, "What happened?"

Yamako took one look at Bulma and chuckled.

"I see you haven't completely lost your touch…"

"Silence, woman!" Vegeta shouted.

"What?" Bulma said, her curiosity not completely appeased, "Yamako?"

"You see," began Yamako, but Vegeta interrupted her, jerking his chin towards Bulma.

"Onna! I thought I told you to leave!"

Bulma drew herself up.

"I have a right to know, Vegeta! What does this woman---Yamako---have to do with…"

Her eyes suddenly widened as she saw something twitch in the starlight.

"What the hell…"

Yamako's smirk was not missed. She wiggled her tail out from beneath her and proudly swung it around her side to show that it was real.

"A female Saiyajin!? But that…"

Bulma's sentenced trailed off. Yamako smiled again, a queer enough one to unnerve Bulma quite considerably.

"There are no female Saiyajins, is that what puzzles you? You thought that all the male Saiyajins cloned themselves because all the females were…"

"…Weak," finished Bulma quietly, for she knew, because Vegeta had told her, "But Vegeta…He said…"

Yamako chuckled.

"I…I have quite a different story…Sometime that connects me and Vegeta quite nicely…"

Bulma's eyes widened, then looked accusingly at Vegeta.

"You didn't use to…" she began, but Vegeta cut into her sentences.

"A _few_ times, Onna," he admitted grudgingly, "We were almost---what you humans call---'engaged' at one time or another, but…"

"That's not what I was going to say," said Bulma coldly, then a bit dryly, "But I'm glad you told me, Vegeta."

Vegeta looked like he wanted to slap himself. Meanwhile, he had relaxed his grip. Yamako kneed him and promptly flew out the window. Recovering quickly, Vegeta got up and threw a quick scowl at Bulma before flying out the window in his exercise shorts and white boots. Bulma went to the window and glared at him. What cheek! She hastily put on some clothes and fetched a hoi-poi capsule from one of her drawers. Pressing the cap, she tossed it out the window before it transformed into a helicopter. Then, gathering some misc. belongings to fix her hair on the way, she jumped out the window and into the vehicle. Fixing it to auto pilot, she mapped out the course to follow, then sat back, carefully braiding her hair as the helicopter leapt forward.

~

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, terribly suspicious of the couple in front of him. Before he realized that they weren't humans, he had been frying them crisp with his laser eyes. He would've gone further as to snap their necks when the pink-haired girl screamed and made a sparkler come out of her mouth. Obviously, _that_ wasn't normal of humans, so Piccolo had stopped, beginning to examine these two kids that had the nerve to disturb him in the middle of the night. Futomi and Jito now looked like anything that was black and crunchy, rather than a love goddess apprentice and her assistant. They at first coughed and sputtered, and Jito started yelling some nonsense at Futomi, which Piccolo raised a confused eyebrow ridge at.

"I TOLD YOU!!" shouted Jito, waving a fist at his friend and scattering ashes, "HE COULD'VE KILLED US!!!"

"Jito…!!" whined Futomi in a high-pitched voice, eyes screwed tight, her head in her hands and trying to shake the ashes off her head, "I didn't…"

"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!? YOU CAN'T EVEN…"

"You don't understand me! You ruin…"

"RUIN!?! WHAT DO **_I_** RUI---"

"You can't…"

"SILENCE!" shouted Piccolo.

He was answered by a wide-eyed, ashen-covered silence. Piccolo nearly smirked at the sight of the two childish people in front of him, covered in ashes, paused in their mid-fight stances. Jito had a fistful of Futomi's hair, she nearly ripping the bottom corner of his shirt, he with one foot on the ground and the other on near contact with her shin, and Futomi with raised her pulled back fist. It after witnessing the sheer foolishness of these two that made Piccolo more or less really suspicious. Who were they to go tramping around in the night and getting zapped by red laser beams?

"Who are you!" demanded Piccolo, with such force that the two shrank back, trying to hide behind the other.

It was Jito who spoke first.

"I-I'm Jit-to," he said a little nervously, "A-and this-s is The Little Kitty Love Nut Goddess."

Mentally noted, it was distinctly visible that Jito hadn't stumbled over the title. Futomi's cheeks flushed ever so slightly as Jito's eyes passed over his shoulder and nodded. She put on her million-dollar smile and gave a little wave.

"Hiya," she said, practically whispering.

The Namekian glared at them.

"What are you doing here?" he said more matter-of-factly than irate.

"T-that's hardly a question," said Futomi under breath.

Piccolo's ears twitched.

"What?" he barked, and Futomi shrank back again, shaking.

"I-it's nothing!" Jito quickly intervened, "We're just here on a field assignment!"

Futomi nodded quite vigorously.

"That's right! The Tokyo Love Goddess sent me over here to find you!"

The addressed Namekian narrowed his eyes distrustfully, his gaze skeptical.

"What does," he said a little slowly, "_She_ want with me?"

Jito cleared his throat, straightening his burned tie.

"Um, there was an incident a few weeks ago…"

A clipboard mysteriously appeared out of nowhere, only announcing its entrance by a puff of green smoke. Jito took the burnt pen from behind his ear, but seeing that it didn't write anymore, magicked a new one and started jotting down something. Futomi looked over his shoulder with a half-interested glance. She seemed pleased with it, since Piccolo saw her smile widely at him, like there was some secret pleasure that in knowing something he plainly didn't know. It annoyed him so, and he almost didn't hear what Jito had to say.

"…And it ended in her saving you from dashing your head on the ground, some many feet from the air (we don't bother about numbers), all while you were unconscious," finished Jito.

"What?" said Piccolo, suddenly shaken out of his reverie.

Futomi giggled.

"Silly Piccolo," she said, "You're going on a date!"

Piccolo's eyes widened considerably, and his mouth dropped open.

**__**

"WHAT?"

The apprentice burst into another fit of laughter. Jito looked up from his notes.

"That's right," he said, tapping the clipboard with his pen, "One date with Sotari…"

"BUT…"

His eye twitched.

"WHAT THE _HELL_…_WHEN?"_

Jito didn't even blink.

"Exactly one week from now."

"I DON'T…"

The green-haired boy waved a hand in a tut-tut-ish fashion.

"No escape from it, Piccolo," he said, the clipboard disappearing in another puff of smoke, "It's a written order from the Tokyo Love Goddess herself."

A yellow sheet of paper materialized in his hand. Piccolo snatched it, only glimpsing at it to throw it back in Jito's face.

__

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS CRAP!!" he shouted, "NAMEKIANS AREN'T…"

Again, the Former Demon King was interrupted. Jito shrugged his shoulders.

"Can't change it," he said shortly, "Futomi and I will be your supervisors, and we'll also be arranging the whole thing."

He cast a careless glance at the pink-haired girl behind him, now laughing so hard that she had to support herself on his shoulder.

__

Just like her, Jito loosely thought, _Stupid girl…Doesn't take anything seriously…_

"Right, Futomi?" he said loudly.

Futomi clutched her side, gasping for breath and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief in her free hand.

"S-sure," she wheezed, "What---haha---whatever."

Piccolo threw his hands up in the air, totally exasperated at the divine will of love goddesses.

"God," he muttered, "What's next?"

The pink-haired Futomi saw his expression and said quite philosophically: "No use spilling over cried milk, Piccolo!"

Both Namekian and boy rolled their eyes.

~

Yamako's eyes shifted back and forth from the sky to the window, making doubly sure she had lost Vegeta. She certainly couldn't hear him at least, and she didn't have a scouter to make sure.

"He's no loss," she muttered as the dark silhouette of Goku rolled over away from her, "Kakarotto will do just as well…"

Only the slight sound of sliding wood softly penetrated the blackness of the Son bedroom. Yamako smirked, thinking how easy this was going to be, as she swung a leg over the sill.

__

I only hope, she thought, _That he isn't…Oh no!_

The female Saiyajin's eyes widened and rolled back in a faint, and Yamako's gloved hand made a soft smacking noise against her forehead. A deep anger was ignited deep inside her.

"These damn Saiyajins!" she cursed under her breath, "They _both_ have mates!?"

Half of Chi Chi's blanket-covered figure was in full view, and it made Yamako nearly sick.

"And both _humans_!" Yamako's voice rising, "I don't believe it!"

Goku stirred a little, but Yamako didn't notice, getting more enraged by the second.

"How dumb! _How stupid!"_

Yellow sparks crackled at her fingertips, and Yamako's brown eyes had a dangerous, malevolent glint. She raised her hand above her head, and the sparks became like lightning, attracting strands of hair from Yamako's head. Her eyes narrowed at Chi Chi, who was sleeping blissfully.

"Shinei," Yamako whispered, and lightning flew.

The electrical energy enveloped Chi Chi, and she woke up screaming. Wisps of smoke immediately rose from her body, and the very stench filled Goku's nostrils as he sat up at the very first syllable of oncoming death. His eyes widened, and the smoke stung his eyes. Almost blindly, he tried picking up his wife, but the shock threw him so hard that he fell off the bed. Goku's head hit the carpeted floor with a soft thud, then suddenly saw, upside-down, Yamako's smirking face.

"Who are you!" he cried, twisting over.

"I'm your new love," replied Yamako, hands on hips with a triumphant look, "Your old one shall leave us very soon…"

"Chi Chi!" yelled Goku, trying to reach his wife again.

His hands touched her, and the electricity shot agony up his nerves, frying his senses. The very pain overwhelmed him, filling his eyes, nose, ears, every opening. He couldn't even feel the fine fabric of the blanket under his knees or soft touch of his wife's hair as he held her close to him, sharing her pain and her terrible death. For sure, although his body was much stronger than Chi Chi's, Goku knew he could die from this. That only made him grasp her tighter, hoping beyond hope that somehow this would help take some of the pain away, though he knew nothing of how to stop it. 

All of a sudden, as if it came far away, Goku heard the sound of something breaking. Vaguely, he smiled, thinking how mad Chi Chi would be…If she made it out alive. Then he thought heard someone shouting---a man's voice---then something in a female's voice. A chop-chop-chop noise---ki blasts---More crashing (More cleaning up!). Even more shouting…then… Goku suddenly realized that the pain was gone. He took in a sharp breath, then loosened his hold on the limp form in his hands. The Saiyajin doubled checked, jerking his head right, over his shoulder…

There was Bulma, standing in quite a glorious-looking stance above that unconscious woman on the floor. Vegeta, with what looked like a small burn on his forehead, was a little away from the foot of the bed, still in his stance and a wisp of smoke still rising from his glove. The smaller Saiyajin seemed to be having trouble breathing, for it came in ragged gasps and wheezes, but overall, he seemed okay. He straightened up from his stance when he saw Goku looking at him with a bewildered expression.

"Kakarott?" he said, jerking his chin at the woman, "This is Yamako."

Goku took a quick glance at the woman. She didn't seem too hurt; just knocked out by one means or another. He wasted no time remembering Chi Chi.

"Chi Chi!" he cried, turning to his wife and shaking her shoulders gently, "Chi Chi!"

"Goku!" said Bulma, running around to the other side of the bed, "What happened?"

The addressed did not say anything. A big tear rolled down the side of his face.

"Chi Chi…"

Vegeta cast a careless glance at the muscle-slackened woman in Goku's arms.

"She's not dead, Kakarott," he said in an annoyed tone.

Bulma gave a sharp, icy look at Vegeta, thinking of him thoughtless, but Goku was different. He looked at his fellow Saiyajin with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

"How do you know?" he asked quietly.

The other did not immediately reply. He silently walked over to Chi Chi and gave a quick examination.

"A Saiyajin can survive that attack," he murmured a little too bluntly.

"Saiyajin!?" Bulma nearly shrieked, "_Saiyajin!?_ How can you think of that right now!! Chi Chi is…"

"That woman could die for all I care!" snapped Vegeta, then looking back at Goku, "But for God's sake, you should shut your mouth!"

"Wait, are you saying…" Goku's sentence trailed off, "…But we don't have the Dragonballs!"

Vegeta looked slightly pained, but still angry with Bulma. He stiffly whirled around and walked up to the window, gazing outside. Bulma's helicopter was still there, hovering and wasting gas. The Saiyajin flew a little ways over to it, taking care to avoid the swirling blades above his head. As he touched foot inside the craft, he could feel eyes watching his back with wavering credulity. To himself, Vegeta couldn't help but smirk when he found them. He straightened, turned, and his triumphant smile guaranteed the looks of surprise on Goku and Bulma's faces. Then, with a deft toss, a plain, brown bag was seen being thrown out of the helicopter and landing with a hard thud on the ground below.

The Saiyajin Prince was on the ground before the bag, catching it easily in his arms. Goku and Bulma followed suit, watching with astounded faces as Vegeta took each Dragonball, one by one, out of the bag, the latter's' smooth, orange surfaces glossy in the pale starlight. Vegeta's eyes lit with a familiar temptation, as each ball was placed in a neat little circle in the dewy grass, one that pained him to forgo. Bulma and Goku knew it, but they knew better than to say anything stupid.

Bulma asked softly: "When…?"

"I've had them for a few months," replied Vegeta abruptly, turning his face slightly away, "Hid them in one of the air crafts stored in your hoi-poi capsules. I wanted to make the wish…"

He didn't finish his sentence. Bulma stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. The Saiyajin shrugged it away. His wish for immortality…Finished. He had had his chances. Vegeta tried to look indifferent. It didn't matter anyway. Even if he did wish to be immortal, Goku and his friends would've found _some_ way to stop him, even if it meant cheating their chances of Heaven. The prince looked up in the air at the stars, only finding them blocked by the huge coils and scales of a certain dragon. He couldn't help but glare at the thing. Such a waste…

"~§~§~WHO DARE DISTURBS MY SLEEP~§~§~" bellowed Shenlong.

"Goku," said Goku in a calm voice, "I wish to make my wife into a Saiyajin."

The Eternal Dragon gave Goku a very hard look.

"~§~§~THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE. ONE CANNOT CHANGE WHO THEY ARE, NEITHER BY BLOOD NOR BY RACE. ONLY IF ONE DESIRES A MINOR PHYSICAL CHANGE…~§~§~"

"Damn," muttered Bulma, "That Dragon…!"

"The rules are pretty complicated," said Goku, looking at Chi Chi, "About what you can do or what you can't do. One of those…"

"But we're _only_ making Chi Chi into a Saiyajin! What's so wrong with that?"

"Maybe…That being Saiyajin…You risk losing yourself."

"What!?"

"Saiyajins," said Vegeta, "Have feelings no one else has. You…"

He failed to explain it. Not that Bulma, as scientific as she was, could understand such complications…She'd have to be Saiyajin herself to find out.

"Chi Chi won't change!" Bulma insisted, "She's…Chi Chi! A human! Humans can't change their feelings no matter what! She'll stay the same!"

"How do you know!" Vegeta argued, in a tone unlike his own, "By changing Saiyajin, she might become someone else…She'll be overcome with new feelings, a sudden---freedom---that she can do what she wants with the new Saiyajin powers. That might become something else…Something that we cannot control. She might even kill herself."  
The last reason rung out, loud and clear enough to even wake Gohan. He stirred immediately from his sleep. After running to his window, he watched with wide eyes as he saw his parents, Bulma, and Vegeta all gathered around the Shelong.

"What could they possibly wish for?" he wondered aloud.

~

Piccolo's attention from the newcomers was now diverted to Shenlong's sudden appearance in the sky. Taking advantage, Futomi waved good-bye as Jito took a quick jog into the trees.

"Bye, Piccolo-sama!" she said, "We'll see you next week! We'll call you!"

The Namekian didn't even blink. When he did look, they were gone. With a slightly irked expression, he flew off to the Son House, wondering what was going on.

"A waste of my time," muttered Piccolo, thinking about the date, "Don't see why…"

His cheeks flushed slightly as the thought of Sotari bobbed expectedly in his mind.

__

What was she hiding from me…?

~

Gohan slipped out of his window, but his arrival did not go unnoticed.

"Gohan!" exclaimed Bulma.

"What happened?" Gohan asked, then seeing his mother, "Okaa-san!?"

Bulma briefly filled him in. Vegeta looked even more irritated than ever, but Shenlong's patience was thinner.

"~§~§~WHAT IS YOUR WISH~§~§~" he demanded, "~§~§~UNLESS MY SERVICES ARE NOT NEEDED, I SHALL OBLIGED TO RETURN TO MY EARTHLY SLEEP~§~§~"

"Just wait a moment!" Goku called up, then at Vegeta, "Well? What do we do? We can't make Chi Chi into a Saiyajin…"

"Then I wish for Chi Chi's injuries to heal!" shouted Bulma up to Shenlong.

Shenlong's temper could easily be heard in his voice.

"~§~§~I CANNOT DO THAT~§~§~"

"WHY!?!?"

Vegeta gave an annoyed sigh and stood up.

"Stupid Onna… Shenlong, I wish for the mate of Kakarotto to have the strength of a Saiyajin!"

"~§~§~YOUR WISH IS GRANTED~§~§~"

There was tremor, and then the bright streaks of the scattered Dragonballs could be seen flying across the sky. Goku looked down at Chi Chi, whose cheeks turned a bright pink, and the burns could be visibly seen disappearing.

"WHAT!!!!!" Bulma's shriek could be heard for a few miles, "HOW CAN THAT BE!!!!!"

"Go ask Kami, Onna," said Vegeta, heading back to the Son House, then looking sharply at Goku, "Don't even say it, Kakarotto---I'll never do it again, I swear…"

He cast a careless glance at Chi Chi, who was now fully awake.

"What…what happened?" she said, a confused look on her face.

Goku and Gohan gave simultaneous cries of happiness. As they stood fussing over Chi Chi, Vegeta resumed his retreat into the house.

"I'll be sleeping in your house tonight, by the way," he said over his shoulder.

Bulma was still in the dark.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!" she screamed, "WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!!"

"You heard Vegeta," said another voice, "Go ask the old man."

She whirled around to see Piccolo.

"Piccolo!" Bulma cried, "Tell me! You would know what happened!"

Piccolo gave her a cold look.

"Don't even start," he said, turning his back to her, "Had more than _my_ share of trouble…"

His cape flapped in the wind, and he was gone. Bulma stamped her foot.

"DAMN IT!!!!!!! NOBODY WILL TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Goku smiled cheerfully and laid a hand on Bulma's shoulder.

"Get your helicopter down, Bulma," he said, "And stay with us."

Bulma hesitated, still fuming.

"Don't worry," Goku reassured her, "I'll carry you up to Kami's in the morning."

At that, Bulma nodded.

"Okay," she said, then addressing Chi Chi, "Are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm all right," said Chi Chi, smiling a little weakly, "But I feel so extraordinary!"

She looked at Goku.

"Is this what a Saiyajin feels like, dear?"

It was Goku's turn to be doubtful.

"Uh…Not quite, dear," he said a little slowly, casting a glance at the house where Vegeta was, "I should know…"

"Where's that devil woman?" Chi Chi suddenly said, "Escaped?"

"N-no…I haven't checked actually."

Goku's eyes went worriedly up to the room.

"She…"

A sudden blast knocked the wind out of him. Goku felt himself land hard on the ground, but Chi Chi was thrown somewhere out of his arms. Gohan and Bulma, he wasn't sure, but he already knew who had attacked them…

"Yamako!!" shouted Vegeta, suddenly appearing again.

The woman Saiyajin looked down and smiled at the prince.

"Hello, Vegeta."

Vegeta glared at her, his fists clenched.

"Get down from there!! You know you can't win!!"

Yamako surprisingly obeyed, landing lightly on the ground in front of Vegeta. The others managed to pick themselves up, but none had injuries. They seemed to form a half-circle around Yamako.

"All right!" said Chi Chi, "First things first! Who is she!"

"I'm Yamako," said she, looking rather pleased with herself, "I'm Vegeta's old girlfriend."

"Vegeta had a girlfriend!?" Goku's jaw dropped.

"Yes, Kakarotto!!" Vegeta yelled, face flushed.

"But there aren't any female Saiyajins!" insisted Bulma.

"Not _natural_ ones," said Yamako, smiling a little wider, "I was a science project."

"Huh?" Gohan looked confused.

Vegeta sighed again, but he was very annoyed having to explain everything about Yamako. She herself only knew part of the whole thing.

"There _were _female Saiyajins at one time, but that was before my people first started conquering the Planet Plant," he began, "The native people there of course weren't very pleased. They fought for a long time, but it was inevitable that the Saiyajins would win. When the supply of weapons was exhausted, the people of the planet decided on germ warfare. But the virus that was spread among us only infected the women Saiyajin, who were decidedly much weaker than the males." 

"That resulted in the entire annihilation of the females, but the males were determined to keep the Saiyajin blood strong. Some, of course, wanted to breed with other alien species, but the experiments of hybrids usually resulted in disaster. Only 10 alien species could reproduce hybrids successfully, but all the children produced were too weak to be considered purebloods."

"What saved our race from become tainted was the technology we had stolen from the previous inhabitants. We started cloning only the most powerful males, ensuing in only the strongest Saiyajins. Of course, there are always some people against the cloning. Most of which were of the weaker class of Saiyajins that were prohibited being cloned. Among them…"

He cast a careless glance at Goku.

"…Was Bardock. My father always hated him, and Bardock was so bold as to even clone himself twice…Anyway, Bardock and his few followers scraped enough together to form a project designed to recreate a female Saiyajin. They did this by adding some borrowed female genes from other alien species to their own DNA. Many of their efforts failed. It was only when Bardock had some of his own DNA…"

"Yamako's my little sister!?" Goku interrupted, his eyes wide with utter astonishment, "I never knew I had _two_ siblings!"

"I have a big brother!!" Yamako shouted, looking at Vegeta, "And it's Kakarott!?!?"

"Surprising, eh?" Vegeta couldn't help but smirk.

"I don't believe it!" Bulma exclaimed.

"Me neither!" said Chi Chi and Gohan.

"Take samples," said Vegeta simply, "You'll find that Yamako and Goku's DNA are almost exactly the same…"

"But we aren't _really_ siblings, are we!?" Yamako asked.

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders.

"It's _only_ DNA, Yamako…"

"Then…then…" Yamako was teetering on the edge of hysterics, "…I'm not the Prime Minister's mutated clone daughter after all!?!?"

"No," said Vegeta, taking great pleasure in this, "A third-class baka…"

"I'm not of royal blood!?!?!?"

"Not a drop."

"I…I…"

Yamako fainted. Goku picked her up and started carrying her to the house.

"Who did she think she was?" Bulma asked, still confused.

Vegeta looked at her, and the small light of tenderness suddenly welled up in his eyes for absolutely no reason at all.

"When she was born, she was told that she was the clone of my father's highest Prime Minister, but something had gone wrong to make her into a female. She had accepted it, and the Prime Minister had taken her in and trained her to be a proper Saiyajin. Bardock and his colleagues knew that they didn't possess the skills or power to do so. That figures…Third class can't do anything."

He turned to go into the house.

~


	6. JAJ: The Clue in the Fortune Cookie

Notes: the time this takes place is early summer.

_~_

_Just a day, just a day, just an ordinary day…_

The excitement of Yamako had reached the other Z Senshi, who had panicked awhile, but the matter had been calmed down in a surprisingly short amount of time. It had only been last week now since the 'slumber party' happened. Chi Chi had been thoroughly informed of her newfound abilities, though she was slightly startled one day when a tail suddenly appeared. Goku reassured her it was completely normal, and kindly offered to pull it off for her. The latter, of course, refused, but found the new limb to be extremely useful for balance and grabbing things, but it took a while to get used to sitting down. 

It took even longer for Yamako to get adjusted to being 'a third-class Saiyajin.' People wondered if she ever did. Nobody ever did know the answer, not even her future husband, nor figured that question out, except for maybe Vegeta, who always kept his private thoughts to himself. The woman Saiyajin kept stomping around, alternating between the Son House and the Capsule Corporation Mansion, shouting about and lowly uttering profanities. Chi Chi utterly despised her, Yamako the same. The latter's relationship with Bulma was slightly better, but the two on a great many occasions exchanged many acid fights. All three hardly agreed on anything, from world politics to proper cooking, and each always took the advantage whenever her pet subject came up.

One thing, however, did not change: Piccolo's melancholy. Few people wasted their worries on _him_, though, being _Piccolo_ after all, save Gohan. He had visited Piccolo just after Yamako had first appeared, but found his former sensei disinterested in talking. Not that talking was one of Piccolo's strong points, but Gohan had thought maybe Yamako would intrigue him, and discuss with Gohan whether or not the new Saiyajin was a threat. Piccolo had barely mumbled: "Yes, yes…" during the whole visit. Frustrated with his friend's moodiness, Gohan had burst out again, hoping to at least motivate a spar: "I'm going to study now! Good-bye!" That stimulated a rather pathetic, half-hearted fight with Piccolo, which Gohan could've won even if both of his legs and an arm were broken.

"This is stupid, Sensei!" Gohan had forcedly said, automatically stopping the spar, "You're not even fighting!!"

Piccolo threw a glare, encouraging Gohan's hopes. There was a movement, and Gohan was knocked out for a few minutes. He woke with a huge headache, finding that Piccolo had disappeared.

"OW…"

Since then, Piccolo had avoided Gohan, staying in the high mountains, not wanting any more reminders of that incident. That incident…

_Sotari…_

Kami's Lookout materialized again in front of his eyes: the snapped pieces of white wood, the torn roof, scattered stones… And her, staring defiantly at him, the shining blades of her sheath to the sun, light brown hair…Those eyes of hers…Pink and deadly. Hiding…Hiding what? She seemed so cryptic. Intense…Isolated…Sad. Not willing to communicate to just anyone. Piccolo looked up at the sky. It was a starless night, with sparse clouds here and there, and a slightly nippy wind. The Namekian tried to pull himself together. He was Piccolo, son of Piccolo Daimao, former Demon King of the World! _Why_ did Sotari disturb his world so? Why even at all? Such a damnable question!

"I could hate you, Sotari," muttered Piccolo, "I could really hate you…"

He paused a moment.

"…I just…I can't…"

_It would make me feel better…And I wouldn't be going crazy wondering WHY you're bothering me… Stupid Saiyajin!_

The smelly odor of flowery perfume sliced the air like a knife, and Piccolo cringed. Swirls of pink smoke billowed out, surrounding him partly, and fireworks exploded around his feet. Green smoke followed suit, but it was much calmer, and a stern voice could be heard lecturing…

"Futomi," said Jito, with forced self-control on his temper, "I told you…"

"Isn't the moon beautiful tonight!" declared Futomi, clasping her hands and her eyes shining, then to Piccolo, "I'm glad you waited for me!"

"…"

"Futomi," said Jito, gripping her shoulder hard, "There is no moon."

She didn't skip a beat, though her vowels seemed to be dragged.

"Oh, reeeee-ly??? No moooon??? What haaaaapened???"

"Blown up, I suppose," said Jito, "But enough, let's get to business."

He looked at Piccolo, a stiff, business-like air assumed.

"Tomorrow," he began in a formal manner, "Is the date."

Piccolo stiffened at the word, breathing in hard, but he didn't say anything.

_Will of the gods, will of the gods…_ he had to keep repeating in his mind.

A clipboard appeared in a puff of green smoke, and Jito slipped the pen from behind his ear. He snapped his fingers and a pair of reading glasses appeared. Jito slipped them on, peering closely at the text. He then started jotting down notes. Next to him, Futomi clung to his arm and giggled. 

"You look so cute in glasses…"

He ignored her comment completely, looking up at Piccolo.

"The date plan is usually kept confidential, but since this is your first (and probably your last) date, I'll indulge in outlining the plans for tomorrow. Meeting time is 12:30pm, and expected temperature tomorrow is a pleasant 68 degrees Fahrenheit. First order of business is a trip to the amusement park for a total of 3 hours. At 3:30pm, you and Sotari are scheduled for…"

"Hey," said Futomi, "What about ice skating?"

"What's that?" said Piccolo.

Futomi looked at him blankly.

"That's not in the schedule!" blurted Jito, flushing, "It's supposed to be…"

"You could go deep-sea fishing," Futomi suggested further, "Or a picnic!"

Jito rolled his eyes.

"I think they'd like fishing better," he said, taking no notice of Piccolo's face, "Anything but picnics…"

"No, a movie! No, shopping!" Futomi was firing suggestions every second, and Jito pinched his third eye.

"We'll figure it out somehow," he said to Piccolo, "But just know that you probably won't be off this date until at least 10:30pm…"

"10:30PM!!!" Piccolo protested for the first time, "NEARLY 12 HOURS!?!?!?"

Jito made no comment. He calmly magicked away the clipboard and tucked the pen behind his ear, slipping his glasses off.

"I'll be seeing you at 9am tomorrow for preparations," he said in a tired voice, "Futomi will get Sotari ready, and we'll rendezvous at the amusement park at 12:30pm."

Futomi burst out laughing, smiling rather idiotically. Jito rolled his eyes and took her arm.

"Come on," he said agitatedly.

The two disappeared in twin puffs of smoke, stranding Piccolo to his thoughts on the lonely hillside.

~

Jito took of his glasses and sighed with exasperation, leaning back in his comfy office chair. This was the part he always hated most. He closed his eyes and pinched his third eye, trying to relax. The sound of a bell jingled behind, but Jito didn't look up.

"Good morning, Jito!!" came Futomi's bubbly voice, noisily stomping into the room.

The boy didn't answer at first. He had to clear away all the paper, notes, crumpled balls, and pencils first, before Futomi practically slammed a tray on his desk. Her elbow knocked over his phone. Jito sighed. She was so clumsy! He calmly picked it up while Futomi stood ready with a pepper grinder.

"Want some…" she began, but she was already grinding away, starting a nice little pile of gray on Jito's eggs.

Jito made a face. She knew he hated pepper on eggs! He told her every day! What was the matter with her? His face flushed, and he put his hand on hers.

"Futomi," he said a little angrily, but Futomi interrupted.

"Today's the day, Jito!" she said in cheerful tones, putting down the pepper grinder and taking his other hand, "I'll take Sotari and you take Piccolo!"

"Fut---"

"Now, eat your breakfast and we'll get going! We've only got _five and a half hours!"_

"Five and…" Jito said in astonishment as Futomi gracefully turned around on one foot and leapt out of the office.

He kept staring at the door long after Futomi was gone. Honestly, that girl never ceased to amaze him! A coworker at the desk next to Jito nudged him.

"Bweakfast 'gain, eh, mate? Does it evewy mornin' fa ya. Wha', yuu go---"

"Yeah…" said Jito vaguely, turning back to the tray.

It was a messy affair, that breakfast was. Not only were the eggs covered in pepper, they looked yellow blobs of paste and still slightly undercooked. One side of each piece of toast was burnt a solid black, while the other sides were a warm, what-toast-should-be brown. The orange juice had pieces of eggs, toast, and eggshells settling at the bottom of the glass. It was hard to tell whether that was better than the hash browns, which had a gooey, mashed-potato-like appearance (also heavily peppered). Jito picked up the cup of coffee and shook his head at the site of the collapsed slice of chocolate cake she cut out for him.

"That girl…"

His coworker called out to him again.

"A' leas' (at least) shee makes goo' (good) coffee…Dem (damn) fine, I shoul' say. Dem (damn) fine gel (girl)…"

"Yes…She does."

He couldn't help but smile.

"Futomi…"

The ring of a phone interrupted his reverie, and Jito answered it. It wasn't of any importance, for it was a wrong number. Jito sat down and leaned back in his chair again, his hands folded over and resting on his stomach. He had never---in all his life---felt this way…

"Oi! Jito!" said his coworker, "Awe ya goin' ta wowk?"

"Yes…" said Jito, but to his coworker, it sounded more like 'Yaaasss…"

The coworker grinned and shook his head, turning his attention back to the files. Jito did not rouse himself for a while. But even then, he was still a little distracted. So he took breaks---unusual of him. Even the other coworkers noticed, but they didn't say anything. Two and a half hours later, Jito finally gave up.

"I have to go," he said shortly to his neighbor, "Can you cover for me?"

The other nodded, and Jito departed, clipboard and pencil in hand, and his eyeglasses perched smartly on his nose. He found Piccolo easily, and magicked them both in a puff of green smoke to a building. Piccolo's eyes widened a little, but he wasn't surprised at what the building's contents were. It was like the men's section of Nordstrom, only bigger, and there were no people around. The place also served as a salon for men. Piccolo frowned.

"All this," he said in an annoyed tone, "For just…"

He hesitated over the word.

"…_Date…"_

Jito nodded.

"I know…It's all boring to me, too, but you have to look decent after all."

"But I'm fine!" Piccolo snapped back, then waved a hand at the nearest object, "Why do humans make such a fuss over everything!"

"Well, Sotari's getting ready, too!" Jito said sharply, his face flushing a little, "And you're going to be among the humans, so…"

Piccolo scowled.

"I am not…" he started, but Jito stopped him.

"Will of the gods," he said calmly.

There was two-minute silence. Piccolo threw back his head and covered his face with his hand.

"Why me?"

Jito sighed.

"I know…Let's just get it over with…"

He led Piccolo to the salon.

"Take a shower and I'll pick out some clothes for you," said Jito in a tired voice, like he had just finished chasing a two-year-old.

In a very short time, the affair of getting ready for Piccolo's first date was done. But the actual going to the meeting place…

"I can't do this!" Piccolo said angrily, banging his fist on a counter in the salon, "I'm asexual!"

Jito sighed and said in his exasperated voice, "I told you before…"

"Hell with it! I can't!"

"Listen," Jito barked, smacking his hand against the counter and leaning forward, "Don't you know what wrath…"

"I know!!" Piccolo shouted back.

"Then why!?!?"

"Because…" his voice trailed off.

There was another sigh from Jito. He reached down and pulled up a colored glass bottle. Piccolo raised an eyebrow.

"Drink?" asked Jito.

Piccolo looked slightly nervous.

"I don't know what reactions Namekians have from 'drinks'."

"Just drink some," said Jito, pouring some out in a glass, "It'll calm you down."

"I don't need calming…" began Piccolo, but Jito shoved the glass into the Namekian's hand.

"Drink it," he commanded.

The other looked at the stuff suspiciously. He sniffed it.

"What is it?" he said.

"Dry white burgundy," replied Jito, pouring some out for himself.

Piccolo screwed up his face and hesitated another moment before he swallowed the whole thing. The liquid slid easily down his throat and gave a pleasant burning sensation in his gut. His muscles loosened a little, and Piccolo looked at Jito. Jito took down his glass. He, too, looked at Piccolo.

"A relatively easy, but sour drink to take down," said Jito, pouring some more.

The Namekian pushed his glass towards him. Jito took the hint and gave him some.

"Don't drink too much," he said to Piccolo, though the warning sounded pretty flat.

He raised his glass.

"Here's to…" he began.

Piccolo clinked it.

"…World peace."

Jito raised an eyebrow. That was about the last thing he expected Piccolo to say. Piccolo drank down his burgundy without another thought and gave the glass back to Jito.

"Time?"

The boy looked at his watch.

"12."

Piccolo breathed a heavy sigh.

"Can I have the rest of that bottle?" he asked off-handedly.

Jito gripped the bottle a little harder.

"You'll get drunk."

"No, I won't drink it…yet. I'm saving it for later," said Piccolo.

The other hesitated, but handed it over. Piccolo tucked it in the pocket of his new pants.

"I've a feeling you'll need it later," said Jito, stepping out from behind the counter, "Let's go."

"Hey, wait," Piccolo said, "What are those?"

He pointed to a little dish off the corner of the counter.  Jito smiled slightly and swept up the dish in his hand.

"Fortune cookies.  Want one?"

Piccolo did and cautiously sniffed it.  It had a rather pleasant sugary smell.  He bit into it, and cookie came to pieces in his mouth.  Another bite---then a cough, and Piccolo spat out a small scrap of paper.

"What the hell…"

"It's a fortune," said Jito, "See what it…"

"'Love isn't as bad as you think,'" Piccolo read aloud, "'Have courage, and give it a chance'."

He scowled and threw the paper over his shoulder.

"…Sure…"

Jito read his.

"'Look around!  Love may be staring you in the face!  You just might miss your chance…"

~

_Whispering, you stare  
Watching, you don't care  
Kiss me, make me cry  
How did I wind up here?_

Sotari's eyes reluctantly opened to dawn, too slow to take in the day. Immediately on her mind was the tightness of her muscles stiffened her. She wondered a moment why her fingers were so curled into a fist, digging sore semicircles in her palm. Was she fighting in her sleep? 

The cold mist bit her wet skin and the dewy grass dampened her clothes as she grumpily rolled over to sit up and stifle a yawn. She rubbed an eye and massaged her palms. They stung a little, and Sotari leaned back on her hands as she surveyed the hill she had blindly stumbled last night before collapsing into an unexplainable deep sleep.

She did not wonder too much why she was there. Thinking made her crazy, driving her cyborgish logic to the brink. The very thought of thinking was too human, and Sotari didn't want to be too human… Sotari leaned back and let her eyes focus on the sky, her stare cold and calculating. The sky was too bright today… 

Suddenly, the world went pink. Surprised, but hardly moved, Sotari blinked, thinking something was in her eyes. The pink didn't go away. It seemed to spread and billow out, and Sotari realized that it was clouds of pink. Her small waves of ki dispersed it, but not the hanging smell of flowers. The lady Saiyajin wrinkled her nose. 

A pair of electric pink eyes suddenly appeared, blinking. Sotari's eyes widened. Then came the outline of cat's ears, then a girl's body, and a cat tail…The pink-haired girl stood in front of Sotari, smiling widely and waving a cat-paw glove at her. Her furry, cattail was swinging excitedly behind her, ringing an annoying little bell with a pink bow. The girl was dressed in a pink maid's costume, complete with a white lacy apron and black tights. Sotari raised an eyebrow.

"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooowwwwwww!!!!!!!!" said the girl, winking at Sotari.

There was a movement, and Futomi lay flat on her back. She immediately sat up and rubbed her stinging cheek.

"Ow!" 

Her eyes saw Sotari's bob up and down as she saw her retreating swiftly down the hill.

"Hey, wait!" Futomi called after her, "Where are you going!"

She unsteadily got to her feet and nearly fell down. Futomi's hand went to her knee.

"Ouch…What did you do to my knee!? Hey, come back!"

Sotari did not seem to hear her. She had now reached the bottom of the steep hill, walking in quite a mechanical manner. Futomi suddenly appeared again beside her, riding a cloud and applying ointment on her cheek. The girl eyed Sotari curiously, who did not make eye contact.

"Hey!" said Futomi, "Don't you know who I am?"

No response. Except for a little jerking movement from Sotari's left hand. Futomi took care to notice it. However, she babbled on as if she didn't. Sotari continued to not notice…until Futomi was tactless enough to say: "Oh, and don't go making out in the…"

Sotari's fingernails sharply stung into Futomi's bare arm.

"What?" she said.

Futomi made a pained face.

"Ooooww…"

Sotari glared at her.

"Tell me."

The girl made a whining noise.

"Only if you let go of meee," she said.

Sotari gripped harder, her nails just about breaking the skin.

"Well," said Futomi, with one eye closed, but smiling slightly, "You and Piccolo-sama are going on a date!!"

The Saiyajin didn't move for a second. Her grip loosened, then tightened.

"WHAT?"

"LET GO!" screamed Futomi at the sudden rush of pain.

Sotari let go. Futomi held her arm in her other hand and inspected the damage. The nails had dug well into her skin. It was going to be sore, for sure, but no bleeding. The love goddess apprentice's grew into a pout. Sotari, on the other hand, was extremely impatient.

"PICCOLO!" she bellowed, "A DATE!!!"

Despite the pain, Futomi smiled widely and winked.

"Thaaaaat's right, folks!" she suddenly blurted, a pink microphone appearing in a puff of smoke, "Sotari the half-Saiyajin and Piccolo the Namekian are our big winners tonight!! They'll be going for 10 hour date, chaperoned by yours truly and assisted by Jito!!! Catch all the action tonight, Love-Goddess-Style, and see ya next time on…"

Sotari's eyes flashed brightly and her ki rose. Oh, was she going to pound her…

"…The Dating Game!!"

A firecracker suddenly exploded, sending sparks all over. Sotari blinked, and then a streamer popped in her face. Streamers started banging everywhere around them, followed by loud and noisy song: 

"Cause you're everywhere to mee! 

When I close my eyes, it's you I see! 

You're everything, and that makes mee believe! 

I'm n-hot alooone! 

Oh-oh! 

I'm not alone! …"

The song startled Sotari even more and she fell hard on her butt, her hands folded around her nose and mouth. Then, from apparently nowhere, hundreds of miniature stuffed animals of all kinds burst like an oil fountain and one smacked Sotari in the face. It was a doll of a fat, Japanese man with painted red spots on the bulging cheeks and wearing blue, black, and red robes. 

Somehow, it stuck to her nose, and it maddened the poor woman to no end trying to get it off. There was a wide smile on the doll's face, and which, in some sort of insane way, matched the cheerful and messy block letters written on the flags the doll's hands held: "Hurrah! Love and Happiness! May You Have Many Children!"

Sotari turned bright red as an explosion of soft yellow, pink, and white petals rained on her and Futomi, of which the latter was giggling madly and trying to sing along with the music. She had a horrible, screechy voice, terribly out of tune. 

The storm of flowers, animals, and Michelle Branch barraged her, and the agony of it all only increased when a big blowup of Piccolo appeared from the ground, swaying back and forth. Cardboard copies popped up around the toy in bowling pins formation. 

That did it. 

The half-Saiyajin stood defiantly up, ignoring the baby blue elephant that was sticking to her head and the pink hippo on her ear. A green thing was sailing through the air at her and she snatched it, trying to crush it. She loosened her grip a second, and gasped. There was a shriek, and the Piccolo-plushie fell to the ground.

"ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!" she threw back her head and yelled at the top of her lungs, "ENOUGH!!!!!!!!"

All at once, everything stopped. Futomi stared at Sotari, shocked and her mouth hanging open in mid-chorus. The music had lowered its volume drastically to almost a mere hum, and to a different tune:

"She _stares_ into the _sun_  
_Self-inflicted_ pain  
She _sees_ that they're _blind_  
_Why_ does she take _all_ the blame?"

Sotari glowered at Futomi, her eyes blazing as she ripped the hippo off her ear.

"I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!"

"Y-you and P-piccolo are g-going…" whispered Futomi meekly, "on a date…"

There was a short silence. Sotari reached for the blue elephant.

"A date," she repeated, her voice quite controlled, "A date."

"Yes."

Another pause; there was a ripping sound of a pastel green frog from Sotari's sleeveless white shirt. For the first time, Futomi shook her head and made a tut-tut sound.

"We've got to get you cleaned up," she said, wagging a finger, "And…"

She stole a peek at a bright yellow watch on her wrist.

"…Oh ye gods! We've only got _four and half hours!!"_

Futomi slapped her hand against her forehead.

"We've wasted a whole half-hour just standing around!"

Sotari still wore hard look.

"I…"

However, Futomi wasn't listening. She snapped her fingers on both hands, and everything vanished, including the doll on Sotari's nose. There was a mild explosion, rather like a bomb, and pink smoke filled the air. It went into Sotari's nostrils again, and she shut her mouth tightly. Whatever perfume was, she certainly did not want to taste it. Her hands were folded over her mouth and nose again. 

When the smoke cleared, her eyes widened. The hands dropped, and so did her mouth. Sotari took a step forward, her eyes sparkling with astonishment. She and Futomi were in a building now, set up like Nordstrom, only it huge as Costco. There were even escalators leading up to shoes and clothes. The ground floor was an enormous salon and makeup station. Futomi led Sotari over to the hair salon.

"Let's get you washed up!" she said, pointing the shower, "Just pop into the shower for a bit, but don't wash your hair! I'll do that; just let me go fetch the hair-washing things!"

Sotari quickly took one, and Futomi excellently washed her hair, and over the noise of water, she finally explained to Sotari about the date. Fortunate for Futomi, Sotari was hardly one to defy the gods either, so she reluctantly accepted the deal, though secretly hoped something disastrous would happen. 

For the next few hours, Sotari grew very tired of looking and trying on all the different shoes, clothes, and makeup, but she was spared from Futomi from taking _too_ long, or she would've blown up there and then. Futomi was the type of person/goddess who knew all the tricks of matching things with eyes, skin tone, etc. Even Sotari couldn't help but feel a little pleased with herself when she saw herself in the evening dresses, though out loud she claimed otherwise.

Finally, it was time. Futomi had fixed up the very last detail Sotari's makeup and was ready and rarin' to go in an outfit of her own.

"Let's go!" she said, her fist raised in the air in a triumphant manner.

She made a grab for Sotari's hand, but Sotari shrank back, making her way towards the nearest full-length mirror.

"Eh?" Futomi followed and found Sotari staring at herself in the mirror, "What's the matter?"

"I don't feel very comfortable in this…" said Sotari slowly, fingering the material of her shorts, "It's too…Showy."

"Whaaat?" said Futomi, "You've got a killer body! Show it off!"

"I'm not a prostitute!" protested Sotari.

"Calm down!" said Futomi, her hand reaching for something, and then tossing a white cardigan at her, "Take this!"

Sotari put it on and stared.

"It's…a little better…" she said.

"Reely? It's from JCrew," replied Futomi, sidling up beside Sotari, "I got all their summer clothes and stuff. This one is…"

She fingered the sleeve, which Sotari rolled up.

"…The Poor Boy Rib cardigan," continued Futomi, "I forgot what material it's made out of, though…"

"Enough," said Sotari curtly, "Let's go."

"Oh! Wait!"

Futomi crouched close to the mirror. Sotari raised an eyebrow. The kitty goddess brushed off an imaginary speck from her bangs. Then she ran her hair through with her fingers and wiped away something on her face. The half-Saiyajin frowned, and Futomi stood up.

"Okay!" she laughed aloud, "We can go now!"

She dashed ahead of Sotari, making a beeline for something.  Sotari casually followed, and wasn't surprised to see Futomi bob up again in front of her.

"Fortune cookie!?" Futomi shrieked.

Sotari's right eye twitched.

"What?"

"Like this!!" Futomi squealed, snapping a cookie in two, "And you read your fortune!!"

She held her fortune up high to the light, reading aloud the message.

"'Calm yourself!  Love isn't always about explosions.'"

Sotari crushed the cookie in her palm.  While she ate the pieces, she read her fortune: "'Cheer up!  Love will give you a chance as long as you don't sulk.'"

The half-Saiyajin's eyebrow raised, but she didn't say anything.  She silently finished her cookie.

~


	7. JAJ: The Secret of Keeping Up Appearence...

Notes: I'm sorry, but I have a BIG weakness in describing clothes… I hope it does not bore you so, for those of you who don't care much for that sort of thing…

~

The sun was shining brightly, the sky a brilliant baby blue and the air slightly cool and very fresh: the perfect day for the amusement park. Sotari shielded her eyes and peered at a suspicious-looking wooden roller coaster. It was obviously the most popular, for it was the only coaster that had people wobbling off it who didn't know what hit them, not to mention the line stretching all the way to the entrance. The half-Saiyajin frowned disapprovingly, thinking of how she could fly much faster than that toy. Screams from various other coasters rang the air and Sotari cautiously took a step from behind the park bench. She took care to wrap the cardigan around her and leaned forward slightly, trying her best to ignore all the stares.

"I hate this…"

She stole a glance behind her, and the sight of a grinning and waving Futomi only sickened her.

"Show off, girl!!" Futomi yelled, "Open up!"

Futomi wagged a finger and winked.

"Or else…"

Sotari raised an eyebrow, but she still didn't obey. The girl giggled, and snapped her fingers. Out of nowhere, a bucket of water appeared above Sotari and tipped over. Sotari gave a small, indignant shriek as she realized how drenched she was. Futomi laughed and held her stomach. The half-Saiyajin, however, was much less amused. She was on the verge of blasting Futomi to pieces, but then, just to make matters worse, a tall, somewhat-cute guy in a white DKNY sweater approached her, carrying a towel. He wasn't that bad looking, but his spiky hair looked extremely funny with his almost elf-like ears and slightly long face. His handsome brown eyes rather annoyed Sotari, though, and she glared at him.

"What do _you_ want?" she barked at him.

The guy gave a slight jerk. He seemed surprised.

"Do you want a towel?" he asked a little nervously, holding out the towel.

Her eyebrows tightened, and her eyes blazed.

"Um…" said the guy.

Quite a few people had stopped to watch now. There were a few wolf whistles, and Sotari drew the cardigan even closer. If they saw what she was wearing… She snatched the towel from the guy, turned back to sit on the park bench, and started drying herself. The guy, however, followed her and sat down next to her. Sotari turned her head away, mentally giving the guy two seconds to go away.

"Let me dry your hair…" he started, reaching for the towel.

Sotari scowled at him so fiercely that he drew back.

"Hey, I was just…" he began.

"Aren't I little _old _for you?" Sotari interrupted in an annoyed tone.

He seemed to gather his courage and leaned forward.

"I'm 22, and you look…18?"

She punched him, square in the face. He howled and clutched his nose. There was a big "Oh!" and a long "Oooooh, _ouch_!" Sotari stood up, towel around her neck. She couldn't help but smirk as she heard one guy holler: "Too bad, mate! Better luck next time!" The guy only groaned and rolled over. He cast one frail look at Sotari and hurried off with his broken nose. A few guys laughed, and one with gelled, sandy-blonde hair and in a orange and blue rugby shirt came over and placed a hand on Sotari's shoulder.

"Hey, that was some hit!" he said in a laughing voice, "Want to go…"

That was as far as he got. Sotari was far from being humored, and she whacked him good. About three seconds later, he was running after the elf-guy, whining about his jaw. The half-Saiyajin put on a demure, little smile, as if nothing had gone wrong. Futomi giggled. The audience kept staring, now more or less terrified of her. Sotari turned to Futomi.

"Dry me," she said shortly.

Futomi snapped her fingers, and Sotari was dry once more. Someone short rushed past, and Sotari instinctively elbowed that someone's head. There was a groan, followed by an "Oh! Ouch!", and then Jito's electric blue eyes looking up at her in pain.

"What the fu---" he started, but Futomi ran up and squeezed him.

"Jito!" she squealed, "I'm so glad you came!"

"Y-yeah…" murmured Jito, practically crushed by the hug, "What's going on?"

"I got Sotari wet!" Futomi eagerly explained, "Then two guys hit on her and she punched them! And then you came and you got a boo-boo!"

"Obviously…"

Jito rubbed his head.

"Ow…"

Futomi looked at him.

"You look like a dork, Jito!"

"What?"

"Dork!"

"What?"

"Dork!"

"What?"

"Dork!"

"Wha…"

"Because of your outfit!"

Jito looked down.

"What's wrong with it?"

He was wearing his usual starched, white shirt and black pants with suspenders.

"Dork!" Futomi yelled again.

The other sighed, and said: "All right, I'll change."

With a snap of his fingers, he was wearing a blue-heather shirt with stripes and a crewneck. He also had long cargo shorts to replace the stiff black pants, and flip-flops for the hard-tipped shoes. Jito had admit, he _did _feel slightly more comfortable, but also extremely odd.

"That's what comes of wearing business stuff so long!" Futomi declared.

The crowd gasped, but the little group seemed to take no notice. Futomi folded her hands in delight. She herself was wearing a sleeveless, white-stretch polo shirt and pink capris with sandals.

"Brilliant!" she cried, "Now where's Piccolo?"

Jito jerked his chin behind Sotari.

"There."

Sotari whirled around, and her eyes widened. 

__

Piccolo! 

And, my… He also looked remarkably nervous at all the people staring at him. Probably because he was eight feet tall, but also because his clothes did not entirely suit him: slouch-fit jeans and a white tank, but those shoes were all right enough… Sotari sensed there were more girls crowding in the gathering throng. She could see his long ears twitch at the giggles. At an instant, she felt sorry for him, wishing she could somehow help him get of this---date---they both had to suffer… Too bad it was the will of the Tokyo Love Goddess. As far as anyone knew, that cracked, old crone held a lot of power, especially over King Enma…

__

Oh, dear god…But Piccolo does---in a way---look…

"Piccolo," she said, diminishing the thought, "It's been…long."

There was a pause.

"Yes," said Piccolo at last.

Neither moved.

"Um…" said Sotari, looking behind her, "I guess…"

"Let's go," said Piccolo shortly, then lowered his voice, "I can't stand this---staring…"

Sotari nodded, and went up to him. Together, they faced the crowd, and that's when their first trouble began. If it wasn't bad enough that they were being stared, it was the cheers and whistles that got them. Sotari grit her teeth, but forced a smile. If they were going to go through this, so be it! Piccolo, on the other hand, was silent, but Sotari, turning to look at him, could see the annoyance boil behind those eyes.

__

Those eyes…

She nearly stopped for a moment, and so did her heart. Suddenly, she took his hand, and part of the cardigan slipped away from her shoulder. It exposed a white bikini, with flower patterns on it, the well-tone stomach, and the slightly low-riding khakis… More hoots. Sotari could feel the warm, electric sparks at the tips of her fingers… A very rude face suddenly floated in front of her.

"Hey there, gorgeous…"

Piccolo's head jerked at the offender, his face screwed up in a terrible scowl.

"Hey, you!" he barked, and the ferocity of his voice made the guy cower, "Leave her alone!"

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice so that only Sotari and the offender could hear: "Or I'll wring your body like a towel so that…"

The guy didn't wait to hear the rest. He gave a shout and bolted. Sotari stared at Piccolo, who looked at her and said: "I didn't do it to help you."

Sotari smiled slightly, but didn't say anything.

"This is making me sick," Piccolo continued, as if nothing happened, "Utter crap."

"No shit," Sotari agreed, "Let's fly over there."

Piccolo grunted. Within seconds, they were up in the air and received astonished gasps for their performance. They landed lightly in the back of a line for a refreshment stand. Neither noticed that they still held hands. A split second later, Futomi and Jito appeared. Jito looked upset, but Futomi domineered over the next part of the date.

"Okay!" she said in a cheerful tone, "Let's get something to eat!"

"Namekians don't eat," Piccolo said stiffly.

"First time for everything!" was Futomi's answer.

They waited in line for a bit and argued about what was there to eat. Sotari didn't want anything to eat either, and it seemed Jito was, too, so that only left Futomi. When they got to the actual ordering, it was like this:

Cashier: "Hello, how may I help you?"

Futomi: "I'd like…"

Jito: "I changed my mind! I want something to eat!"

Futomi: "What then?"

Jito: "Two hotdogs, a 7Up, a no-salt pretzel, a medium bag of Doritos, a small bag of Cheetos, four red licorice ropes, an Itzakadoozie…"

Futomi: "Okay, then I'd like…"

Jito: "No! A salted pretzel, a huge bag of Doritos, three Polish hot dogs, oh, and cut out the Cheetos and have Lay's instead, one potato salad, a lemonade, but don't cancel the 7Up, and five licorice ropes…"

Futomi: "All that, then, please, and…"

Piccolo: "Wait, what are those?"

Jito: "Corn dogs! I want some_! Bring on the ketchup!!"_

Sotari: "Ugh, not with ketchup, Jito! Mustard…"

Jito: "I want ten packets of ketchup!!"

Cashier: "Over there…By the napkins."

Piccolo: "Corn _dogs_?"

Sotari: "They taste good with cinnamon…"

Jito: "Give me fries!"

Futomi: "Right, I want…"

Piccolo (points to something else): "What are _those_!?"

Sotari: "Churros?"

Jito: "I don't think they are…They're, well---_mushy_."

Piccolo: "Then what…"

Sotari: "More like that disgusting stuff children play with…Playdoe!"

Jito: "Like a toaster!"

Futomi: "Jito!"

Piccolo: "What?"

Jito: "What?"

Cashier: "I'm sorry, but we don't have toasters. We do, however, have some very nice chickens out back if want…"

Jito: "I'll call mine 'Ooga-booga'!'"

Futomi: "Jito!"

Jito: "What? Not 'Ooga-booga?' How 'bout a donkey named 'Moo-moo-poo'? No?" 

Futomi: _"No!!!"_

Jito: "PSYCH!! If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, what would you order?"

Sotari: "Just what we've been trying to find out…"

And so it went. In the end, the line was held up and the stand had force Futomi to order something or leave. It ended up finally that Futomi ordered four measly lemonades, a big slice of apple pie, and a caramel apple.

"For you," she said in exasperation to Piccolo, handing him the caramel apple and the lemonade, "Enjoy."

"I didn't want this," Piccolo protested, but Futomi screamed and smashed her lemonade on the ground.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Jito covered his ears and screwed his eyes tight. When Futomi had finished, he opened an eye. He grinned in a way that resembled so much like Futomi's smile that it was almost scary. 

"Can I have your apple pie, then?"

Futomi screamed again. Now, it seemed their roles had switched; Jito was the crazy one and Futomi had become the serious officer. Sotari thoughtfully sipped her lemonade. Piccolo gave a quick sniff and drowned it.

"It's pretty watery," he said.

"Yeah," said Sotari.

A pause. Piccolo looked at his caramel apple again. He held it out to Sotari.

"What does this taste like?"

Sotari shook her head slowly.

"I have pretty vague memories about eating this…When I was little, I think…My parents used to take me here and this was my favorite thing to eat…"

She looked at Piccolo, her eyes a little sad. Piccolo felt something move in his stomach gazing into those eyes. Those secretive eyes…opening to him…

__

…Beautiful…

The sound of screams from the roller coaster behind them did not disturb their moment. Piccolo held out the apple again.

"Bite?" he said.

Sotari smiled slightly.

"Sure."

They both leaned forward and took a big bite, their eyes sometimes shyly meeting a glance while they ate. Between them, the apple was finished in no time. Piccolo and Sotari threw their trash away and looked at Futomi, who was sitting on top of Jito's back and grabbing a fistful of Jito's hair while he beat a fist on the ground, his eyes screwed up in pain.

"Uncle! Uncle!" he cried, and Futomi tugged harder.

"YOU ATE MY APPLE PIE!!!!!!!" she shrieked in a high-pitched voice and shaking her head so hard that her pigtails were coming loose, "YOU GREEDY PIG!!!!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!!!"

Piccolo's eyes shifted towards the roller coaster.

"Want to…" he started, but Sotari was already ahead of him, smiling.

~

The rides weren't as bad as the couple thought. It was like flying, only more interesting. They tried the other rides, sometimes bored and even shared a couple of laughs. Though they made no sense of the video arcade, it was amusing to watch other people lose their games and actually cry about it. Eventually, they decided to go back to the main entrance and wait for Futomi and Jito.

"Come on, folks!" a man had set up a game near the entrance, "Knock down the bottles and win a prize!"

Sotari and Piccolo cast disinterested looks at the game. It was one of those old-fashioned milk bottles, and prizes looked extremely cheap, as all carnival prizes are. The man spotted them.

"Oi! Big fella'! Win a prize for your girlfriend?"

That touched a slight nerve, and Sotari and Piccolo instantly let go of each other's hands.

"We're not…" they started, but the man was still talking.

"Listen, I'll give you three balls for a two dollars and fifty cents, how's that?"

Sotari and Piccolo looked at each other. The half-Saiyajin shrugged her shoulders.

"Why not? We've got time to kill."

So they paid their dollar. The man grinned and hurried to set up the game. As he set the pins, he smiled to himself and pressed down on a button with his foot. There was the small sound of iron bars sliding up into a small number of the middle and bottom pins, so as to prevent their falling at all, and the man rubbed his hands. He stepped aside with a flourish.

"Take your chance!"

Piccolo took the first shot. He didn't throw too hard, and the ball crashed all, but the iron-bar ones.

"Nice shot!" said the man, clapping his hands.

Sotari raised an eyebrow. She knew perfectly well that ball would've taken _all_ the pins… Piccolo threw a second, being slightly gentler. The ball bounced off the pins, but none fell down.

"Oh!" exclaimed the man, "Bad shot!"

The Namekian pulled his arm back. Sotari suddenly stepped in front of him.

"Wait, can I have a shot?"

Piccolo shrugged and handed it over. This pleased the man even more. An easy two-fifty! Maybe they'd try again! He watched closely at the girl. She didn't seem to have a good throwing arm… Sotari took aim, and the ball flew. There was a crash, and all the pins cracked and fell to pieces. The man rose from his chair, his mouth hanging wide open. He flew over to where his pins had been, and touched the exposed iron bars. A hole! Hole right clear through them! His eyes widened at the hole in the back of the tent and peered through it. The ball was still sailing through the air, and then suddenly hit a faraway telephone pole. The pole wobbled, but it stayed. The man wiped his forehead.

"P-pick your prize…" he whispered.

Sotari smirked and surveyed the cheap toys with a satisfied air. Her hand shot out and selected a small Tuxedo Kamen/Mask plushie. Piccolo smiled slightly and shook his head. They left, side by side, but not holding hands anymore. Sotari's eyes caught something interesting. She paused a moment to stare at it, taking in the screams and the twists and turns… Piccolo looked back at her. It only took one glance to know what _she_ wanted.

"No," he said flatly, "No!"

"Yes," said Sotari, tugging his arm, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

She pulled, and it moved his feet. Piccolo gave a groan.

"No…" he said weakly.

"All _right_!"

Another jerk, and Piccolo was flying above the ground, Sotari pulling him along like a doll. The line wasn't long, and before they knew it, they were gripping the front row's safety handlebars. Piccolo's knuckles turned slightly pale green, and Sotari was clearly enjoying herself. An acne-ridden teenager in a dirty blue uniform checked the safety latches while his coworker, a plain, but nice-looking blonde, folded her hands and smiled at them while a voice overhead gave a brief synopsis of the ride.

"Welcome to the Kraken water roller coaster," said the voice, "Prepare to experience the wildest…"

"Hi, I'm Steve," said Acne-Boy, "I'm checking your…"

His eyes fell on Sotari's chest. The drool was more than Sotari could bear. She forced a smile.

"I'm Sotari…" she held out her hand as if to shake it.

He reached for it.

"Sotari, I…Oooowwww!!!…"

Sotari squeezed harder, making sure she heard every crunch. Acne-Boy fell to his knees, and Sotari pulled his hand (and him) towards her. With her other hand, she punched his nose, and, upon hearing it break, she let him go. He crumpled to the floor, and blood trickled, freaking out the blonde girl. As the car pulled out of the station, Sotari smiled and waved back at them mockingly as a first-aid person fixed Acne-Boy.

"It's nice to meet you, too!" she shouted, and then settled in for the ride.

Piccolo looked nervous.

"Isn't there an emergency button anywhere?" he asked, looking around for a button.

"No," the answer came promptly, but with relish.

The ride was pleasant enough---for Piccolo. Sotari practically fell asleep, even when the car got dipped in the icy, man-made lake---twice! Piccolo certainly enjoyed himself, and nudged her awake when the car pulled in.

"What? Is it over?" Sotari opened an eye.

"Yes," said Piccolo, helping her out, "That was incredible!"

"Good," muttered Sotari resentfully, "Glad _you_ enjoyed it…"

As they exited, Sotari noticed the second interesting thing. She paused, and Piccolo looked at her.

"What is it now?" he said.

Sotari's eyes sparkled.

"Are Futomi and Jito here yet?" she said sweetly---too sweetly.

Piccolo didn't seem to notice the tone---or, at least, he didn't show it. He stole a glance at the entrance.

"No."

The sparkle grew brighter.

"Get two more tickets," she said, "It'll be better second time round."

"Okay," said Piccolo, and walked down towards the ticket booth.

As soon as his back was turned, Sotari ducked into her discovery---the Kraken control room! Her eyes easily adjusted to the darkness, and let herself a small snigger when she found a certain clipboard… She found a screwdriver, made some adjustments, and then hurriedly joined Piccolo in the line. When they arrived on the platform, Steve and the blonde girl weren't there anymore. They were replaced by rather sullen-looking guys, who didn't care whether or not anybody _did_ get sick or die on the Kraken---or on anything else. As the riders latched their own safety mechanisms, Sotari looked over at Piccolo (they were in the front row again), grinning widely.

"Brace yourself."

Piccolo cast her a funny look. He didn't have to wait long…

****

*BOOM!*

Screams and shrieks ripped the air, even from Piccolo! The roller coaster seemed to be flattened by the sheer speed of the ride. Dips in the lake were mere instances, and the twists and turns violent. Perhaps the worst part of the ride wasn't getting wet---the corkscrew was. All that spinning and dipping and turning were making people sick and their vomit flew backward on the backriders' faces and on the passerbys below. People without proper latches would've been thrown out of their cars if it hadn't been for the very gravity and speed keeping them in. Only Sotari was enjoying herself this time, and laughing her head off when the car pulled in. By then, she and Piccolo were the only ones who hadn't gotten sick, though the latter looked close. He wobbled off the ride, looking pale and shaking his head.

"Never again…"

Sotari held his arm and together they got a Sprite to calm Piccolo's stomach. As always, the sugary cure worked its magic, and Piccolo breathed easy in less than five minutes. Though he had no idea how the ride was suddenly so fast, he was amused himself seeing everyone else wobble off just as he had (no doubt none of them knew about the Sprite cure!). One lady protested that she was going to sue, but she fell on her face and people laughed.

"I'm hot," he said after all the passengers had gone and the ride was back to normal.

"Me, too," said Sotari, and she took of her cardigan.

Almost right away, some guy approached her---and went away again, nose bleeding. Piccolo slipped off his tank… Sotari slapped her forehead with her hand and slid it down to cover her eyes as girls shrieked and crowded around him. Piccolo's face turned a bright purple and he backed into a corner.

"This…is just great," muttered Sotari.

"HHHHEEEEELLLLLLLOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shouted a familiar voice.

Sotari was almost glad to see that pink-haired freak, who was just rounding a corner with a triumphant expression. Jito came two seconds later, staggering under a load of plushies and stuffed animals. When _he_ went around the same corner, he nearly fell to one side, but imbalance made him collapse on his knees and get buried under the mountain of toys.

"Are you enjoying yourselves??????" Futomi screeched, "Cause we did!!!!"

A muffle came from beneath the pile. It sounded like protest, but Futomi didn't hear him.

"Oh, my," she said, indicating Piccolo and the growing mob of girls, "He _does_ have a nice body… Don't let him get away!"

Sotari glared at Futomi and her face flushed.

"He can take care of himself!" she protested, but Futomi wagged a finger at her.

"Where's your cardigan?" she said, a mischievous spark in her eyes, "I just might make your bikini top disappear if you don't get him out of there…"

Sotari's eyes widened with shock and angry dismay. Futomi laughed, and started counting.

"1…2…3…4…"

The half-Saiyajin gave a disgruntled "GRRRRRRR!!!!!" and a "I hate you", and stomped off to free Piccolo.

"OUT OF MY WAY!!!!!!" she yelled at the girls in a terrifying voice.

None parted, and, if Sotari could breathe fire, it was now.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! I HATE YOU HUMANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She took a step back and faced the crowd (all had their backs to her). Piccolo looked extremely distressed and his eyes widened as he saw ki ball form...

"Sotari!!" Futomi yelled, "Wait, stop!!!"

A small smirk curled around Sotari's lip.

****

*Bom!*

An enormous mirror with no frame appeared in Sotari's hands. The funny things about it were that it didn't reflect anything and that a shining light seemed to be coming from it. A very blinding and hot white one might add, and Piccolo (who was facing Sotari) had to close his eyes from the pain. He could, however, hear what Sotari whispered under her breath:

"Kagami del Sol!"

The light flickered, and it grew a little brighter. However, the light wasn't what made the girls finally scatter---it was the heat. With the mirror pointing at them, the heat grew more and more intense, and it became so scorching hot that it began burning the backs of the girls. Most shrieked at the hastened process of sun burning, and ran away with their heads screaming. Thus, was Piccolo released. He stepped, unharmed, but seriously disturbed, towards Sotari. The mirror disappeared, and Sotari smiled. Piccolo glared at her.

"What was that for!?" he shouted.

"WHAT?" Sotari yelled back.

"You're the one who rigged the roller coaster!"

Sotari was taken aback.

"H-how do you know that!?"

He scowled, but before the argument could go any further, Futomi came between them.

"Now, now," she said, wagging her finger, "No fighting on the first date!"

"WE DON'T…" began Sotari and Piccolo.

Futomi clapped her hands hard, and smoke started billowing out from her hands.

"Come, come, it's ten past three-thirty, so we're running slightly late."

The smoke enveloped them all, and only Futomi's voice could be heard.

"Next on the schedule is---Ice Skating! YAY! I LOVE ICE-SKATING!!!"

There was an awkward pause. Futomi shouted again.

"ONWARD!"

~

"Welcome to Sno King, how may I help you?"

Sotari blinked. Futomi and Jito were in front of her, but they turned around now, dangling four pairs of shoelaces from four pairs of skates in their hands.

"These are for you!" said Futomi in a happy voice, handing over a pair to Piccolo and Sotari, "Enjoy!!!"

It was then Sotari noticed that they were all dressed different---more indoorsy, now, for the ice. Futomi was now wearing a white-stretch halter, flip-flops, and a blue, Japanese print skirt made out of cotton. Jito hadn't changed, but Piccolo had: a flax (gray)-colored sweater with a crewneck (crewneck-rounded neck), with faded jeans and a cap (which he tastefully wore backwards), but he still had the same shoes. In any person's opinion, it suited the Namekian better than the last. For Sotari, the outfit had a distinct contrast with the bikini top and shorts: lightweight, linen, white pants, a stem (light forest green) shirt ("Thank god they're quarter-sleeved!!!"), and matching shoes. The half-Saiyajin gave a sigh of relief---no bikinis---for now. She turned her attention now to the skates in her hand.

"I don't want these," she said distastefully, holding them away from her nose.

Piccolo gave his skates a horrid look. On a bench, Futomi waved to them.

"Come, come!" she called, "Sit with us!"

The two sighed, and sat down on the bench. Jito had already finished, but as he stepped onto the ice…

*Wham!*

Sotari winced. Piccolo widened his eyes.

"Oh, I'm not doing that now…" said Piccolo firmly, waving his hand at Futomi's face, "No way…"

"Come, come!" repeated Futomi, who now leaned over and did this funny thing with her fingers.

When she was done, the shoelaces were in a terrible tangle, and Sotari was left to fix it while Futomi leapt onto the ice with the greatest of ease. Futomi closed her eyes, grabbed her back skate, and spun around, hitting some people, and sending some other skaters crashing to the wall. Smiling, she pushed with her skate and flew off with one foot in the air and her arms spread out like some pink swan in a blue skirt. Jito, who was clinging to the wall, struggled and stumbled after her, shouting out warnings to other skaters. Back on the bench, Sotari alternated glances from the ice rink to the skates. She slowly shook her head. Piccolo had managed to put on his skates now, and he wobbled on them, even on solid ground.

"C-come on," he said, stumbling out of the shoe-changing area, "Let's get it over with."

Futomi whizzed by them, holding Jito up in the air.

"Come, come!" she said again, spinning again.

Jito looked sick. Sotari immediately moved away, but she wasn't much better at skating, either… She whammed into Piccolo, who nearly fell, but suddenly took Sotari's hand and pulled her down onto the ice. With a rough thud, he fell with his back on the ice, and she on top of Piccolo. Piccolo's face flushed.

"…Get…" he stammered, but Sotari had already rolled off.

"Let's go," she said flatly, but she tripped and hit the wall with her shoulder.

"OW!"

Her hand gripped the side and she struggled to stand.

"I can't stand this…"

Piccolo came up behind her.

"Let's get out of here…"

She looked back at him.

"You mean…" she said, lowering her voice as Futomi skated past them again, "…Escape?"

The Namekian nodded. Sotari held out her hand.

"All right."

They slowly skated back to the shoe-changing area, all the while either clinging to the wall or to each other's hands.

"Where should we go?" Sotari asked, nearly slipping.

"It doesn't matter," replied Piccolo, supporting her.

"Well, I…"

She fell again, but Piccolo was still trying to hold her up. However, her momentum knocked his feet out from under him and…

"Get off of me," Sotari said from underneath Piccolo.

Piccolo placed his hands on either side of her, ready to heave himself up, when suddenly, Futomi skated past them again. She halted expertly on her skates, even with her hands on her hips.

"HEY, HEY, HEY!!!" she squealed, "PDA ALERT!!!"

Sotari glared at her, but Piccolo raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION!!!!" Futomi flew off, and it was obvious she was just bursting to tell Jito, though plenty had definitely heard her.

Sotari rolled her eyes.

"Oi vey…"

Piccolo quickly rolled off, but hit his arm on the wall. He and Sotari lay there on the ice and looked at each other.

"So…" said Piccolo.

"So…" said Sotari.

Silence. People took care not to skate on them.

"My hair is in a half-ponytail now," Sotari said lamely, "I had a braid before."

"I don't have any hair," said Piccolo just as lamely.

More silence. Piccolo took off his hat and examined it.

"My hat says 'Santa Clara University'," Piccolo tried.

"Really?" said Sotari, trying to sound interested.

"Um, yeah…"

"Oh, that's nice."

Sotari stared at the ceiling. Piccolo's eyes strayed to the wall, where he had hit his arm. It didn't hurt now that he was lying down. No one disturbed them.

"Do you go on dates often?" Sotari said.

"No. I don't really know a d-a-t-e really is, actually. All I know is that it had to do with you."

"You don't get out often, do you?"

"Same to you. You didn't know how to play---what do you call those---video games."

"Like _you _knew anything! I knew what a roller coaster was!"

"So what? You rigged that roller coaster!"

"What does that have to do with anything!? And it was boring! I saved you from that mob!"

"I stood up for you!"

"I…"

Futomi appeared again, floating above them. Sotari and Piccolo wouldn't have paid attention if it hadn't been for the explosion of flower petals from above and the sudden change of the blaring ice rink music:

"Every little thing I do

Never seems enough for you!

You don't wanna lose it again

But I'm not like them!

Baby when you finally

Get to love somebody,

Guess what?

It's gonna be maye [I know it's 'me', but they say it funny…]!"

Jito skated up, mostly clinging to the wall, but he was steady enough to roll his eyes.

"I HATE THIS SONG!" he shouted in Futomi's ear, but she seemed deaf.

She wagged a finger at Piccolo and Sotari.

"Come, come!" she twittered, "No fighting on the first date!"

"What's a date?" Piccolo said abruptly.

For a split second, Futomi looked horrified.

__

"You've been on one since 12:30pm and you don't know what it is!!" she shrieked, loud enough to make a few people stop and stare at them, "THAT'S TERRIBLE!!!!"

The apprentice pulled out a lacy handkerchief from nowhere and blew her nose like a trumpet.

"I'M A HORRIBLE LOVE GODDESS!!!!" she screeched, "THIS IS SOOO SAD!!!!!!!"

She blew harder and longer, and Jito rolled his eyes.

"Oh _no_…" he moaned, "There she goes…"

A boy with black hair and round eyes skated up to the foursome. He looked at Piccolo, trying to keep a straight face.

"Dude, you've NEVER been on a date OR know what it IS?" he practically bellowed.

Piccolo glared at him.

"Is it a bad thing?"

"BAD!" the kid echoed, "BAD! It's WORSE than BAD!! IT'S HORRIFYING. I mean, what, you're…38???"

Piccolo's eyes glowed red.

"Don't even _try_ and guess my age. It's depressing…"

"Depressing, ha!" replied the kid, "I should say so!"

He eyed Sotari.

"Hey there…"

Lasers shot out from Piccolo's eyes. The kid started to duck, and the lasers hit his hair instead of his forehead. Flames instantly shot out and flared a bright orange. Skater-kid waved his arms and legs, a look of panic written all over his face. People stopped and stared. The kid suddenly skated away from Piccolo, wildly scrambling around for some water until he fell on the ice and it started to melt…

"EVERYONE, CLEAR THE SKATING RINK!!" a voice over the intercom shouted, "OFF THE ICE!!!"

There was chaos everywhere on the ice. Kids cried, mothers panicked, fathers screamed at their wives and children, and fire-loving teenagers tried to crowd around Skater-kid to see his hair on fire. Fortunately, someone had grabbed a fire extinguisher and was dousing the flames before something else could happen. And among all this commotion, Futomi still cried.

"WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Jito reached for her hand, but he slipped…The skirt billowed up, briefly exposing Futomi's leopard 'power' panties. Futomi screamed, Jito blushed crimson, Piccolo widened his eyes, and Sotari rolled hers. People who were lucky to witness it roared and guys whistled. The love goddess turned around and put on her pink cat paw gloves, claws drawn. Her face was livid. In mere seconds, she had shot exactly 11 sharp and shiny claws at them. The little slivers burrowed themselves into each person's butt (but did not pierce), and each person gave a small yelp and ran off. Satisfied, Futomi retracted her claws.

"Jito…" she said with clenched teeth to her assistant, "We're going to have a little talk about this…"

Her cat ears twitched. A toddler nearby wiggled in his mother's arms and pointed at Futomi.

"MommyMommyarethosecatearsrealonthepinkhairfreakgirl???"

Futomi's eye twitched. A needle claw drew, flew, and went up the kid's bottom. The end result of a scream made Futomi smile. She turned to Piccolo, Sotari, and Jito and calmly took off her gloves. Futomi seemed to be taking deep breaths with her eyes closed, and no one said anything. Finally, the love godess opened her eyes, which were as bright and sparkly as ever. She rubbed her hands, and one could tell the plot forming in her mind.

"That's that," she said in an oily voice, "Those Up-Your-Arse-Claws will take of them, won't it!"

She threw up a fist and laughed.

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

The other three stared. Futomi lowered her fist quickly and smiled in a flash.

"Our time of *sniff* ice skating is up," she said with a touch of sadness, "But, ONWARD!!!"

More blank stares. Futomi clicked her fingers, and the pink smoke enveloped them once more.

~


	8. JAJ: The Case of the Willful Blonde

Notes: Where ever this (§§) appears, there's an outfit…  Some song stuff near the end…Though it's a duet, I do not list who sings what part until the end.

~

With a *pop*, the little group was transported to a sidewalk just outside a movie theater. Most of the people in line (that were in front of them) casually looked over their shoulders, but did not seem surprised---until they saw Piccolo. People stared at the sheer height of him, some girls loudly giggled to each other, and some people actually had the nerve to scream. Piccolo glared at them all, especially at one fellow fussing with his camera. His hand shot out and smashed the thing to pieces. At the front of the group as usual, Futomi looked up at the titles.

"What movie?" she asked Sotari and Piccolo, who were looking down at their clothes.

(§§) Sotari was changed, but Piccolo and Jito weren't. While they still sported the same attire as before, Sotari had now jeans, shoes, a t-shirt, and a denim jacket that were pink and black. Her hair was tied up quite nicely in twin buns. Futomi, of course, wore a different outfit: well-worn, ocean-blue jeans, a white, collared shirt with thin pink and purple stripes, and white shoes. Her cat ears hadn't disappeared, so her short, neat hair hung loosely and a bit above her shoulders.

"Eh? Movie?" Sotari looked around, taking in the new surrounding.

"How about you, Piccolo?" Futomi grinned.

Piccolo didn't say anything.

"Okay!" Futomi said to the guy in the ticket booth, "We'll watch…Oooh!! Shrek is on!?"

"We're running a special…" droned the guy, but Futomi interrupted him.

"Four for Shrek!!!" she shrieked, and bag of gold coins appeared and hovered above the guy's head.

"That's…" began the guy.

The bag fell on his head, and the bag burst open. In a bright yellow shower of money, the guy disappeared from the counter. Coins scattered all over on the floor of the booth and some landed on the counter.

"Uuuuhhh…"

A shaking hand slowly emerged, and grasped the counter. Another came, and touched two red buttons. A small string of tickets popped out from a slot while the noise of ear-splitting *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* rang all around them. The people behind the group ducked and covered their heads.

"It's a fire alarm!!"

"Security…!"

"Save us!"

"Mom!!!"

Futomi grinned wider than ever and snatched the printed tickets. She marched towards some swinging doors into the theater, and Piccolo, Sotari, and Jito hurriedly followed.

"THANK YOU!!!!" shrieked Futomi over her shoulder, and the other three jumped.

Sotari pushed ahead of them, Piccolo right behind her. Jito looked at Futomi with a stern look, and his fingers stuck in his ears.

"FUTOMI!!!" he shouted over the *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*, "FUTOMI, YOU'RE SUCH A SILLY ASS!!!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Futomi squealed, clutched the tickets to her heart and her eyes watery, "JIIIIIIITOOOOOHHHHH!!!!!!"

"IT'S THE TRUTH, NOW STOP…"

Futomi lunged forward and tackled Jito, her arms wrapped tightly around his like a vice.

"I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Jito was slammed on the ground, and his electric blue eyes were stunned.

"WHAT?"

The crazy love goddess buried her face in his shirt.

"I love ya!" she repeated a little quieter, "Mmmmm…You smell nice."

The corner of Jito's mouth twitched. He felt extremely uncomfortable, lying there on the filthy concrete ground, and Futomi going crazy. No doubt he was like a dazed deer thrown into headlights and had gotten run over by a truck of some kind. The only difference was that the truck happened to be on top of him instead of burning its tire tracks on some road. Jito was dimly aware of somebody taking his picture and others walking by with widened shocked expressions. Then, someone seemed to walk towards him with light footsteps, and then stop right by his head. Jito's eyes looked up, and saw Sotari. He grinned quite sheepishly.

"Hello…" he said lightly.

"HI!!" Futomi yelled, lifting her head and her eyes glittering, "Jito loves me!!!"

"Um…"

"And we're gonna go out!!"

"Um…"

Sotari held out her hand.

"Tickets," she said curtly.

Both of Jito's eyebrows went up.

"Eh?"

Futomi held them up.

"I got it, I got it!!" she said in a musical voice.

Sotari snatched them and ripped off two of the strip. She promptly turned around and dropped the other two by Jito's head.

"When you feel like it," she said a little coldly, "Come join us."

"What's…" Futomi started, but Jito somehow leapt up, tickets in hand.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand, "We'll miss the movie."

The two got there, and the previews were still running. They sat down a couple rows behind Sotari and Piccolo (sitting together, but reasonably apart), armed with drinks and popcorn. Sotari raised an eyebrow when she saw the popcorn.

"What…" she began.

"Popcorn?" Futomi tossed a few kernels in her mouth, then before Sotari could say anything else: "They're at the concession."

Sotari looked at Piccolo.

"Hey, Namekian, get---"

Futomi wagged a finger at her.

"Manners!"

Sotari flushed. Piccolo raised an eyebrow.

"Get me some popcorn," said Sotari, then grudgingly: "And a drink (Coca-Cola, if you please)?"

Piccolo grunted and grudgingly rose from his seat, to the annoyance of a few people. The Namekian ignored him and went out. The concession was empty, save for a person behind the counter. Piccolo marched right up it. A guy in a scary ski mask was there, scooping some money in a large popcorn bucket. He spotted Piccolo and raised his gun.

"Put your hands…" a guy started to say, and then stared at Piccolo, "…In…Air?"

"Medium popcorn," Piccolo ordered, leaning on the counter with one hand, "Medium Coca-Cola."

The guy grabbed the popcorn bucket and handed it to Piccolo.

"Here."

"What?" Piccolo raised an eyebrow.

"Take it."

"I only wanted popcorn and Coke."

"Oh, that, too?" the guy whipped them out in flash, "Here. No, no, it's on me."

The guy quickly disappeared. Piccolo blinked.

"Okay…"

He turned back to the theater. The movie was just about to begin when he finally slid beside Sotari.

"Here."

Sotari took the popcorn, her eyes glued to the screen. Piccolo frowned. He looked at the screen. Some green guy was talking to himself in an outhouse.

"What's the point of that?"

"Sssssshhhhhh!!!!" hissed someone behind Piccolo.

"What did I…"

"SSSsssssssshhhhhhhhh!!!!!"

A few popcorn kernels bounced off the back of Piccolo's smooth head. He twisted himself around and shot laser beams in the darkness. There was a small scream, and a dark figure in a scary ski mask (that was on fire) started running up the isle waving his arms. Some cops ran after him, and Piccolo shrugged his shoulders. He turned back to the movie.

~

"Welcome to Du-Loc, such a perfect town! Here we have some rules, let us lay them down…"

Piccolo leaned forward and lay his head on the seat in front. Those screechy kid voices were hurting his ears. The poor Namekian started softly banging his head on the seat.

"Make them stop, make them stop…" he moaned loudly.

"SSsssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" said somebody in front of them.

"Shut up," snapped Piccolo, his eyes glowing red.

More laser beams. Another shriek. 

"…Please keep off the grass, shine your shoes, wipe your---face!"

Piccolo looked at Sotari.

"I'm going to get popcorn."

He shoved his way out of the row, upsetting quite a few people's sodas and popcorn buckets.

"Du-Loc is, Du-Loc is, Du-Loc is a perfect town!"

(^o^) Piccolo was almost out the lobby door when he ran into someone. That someone squealed, and Piccolo looked down, terribly irritated. The sight that greeted him didn't surprise him any: a girl with large blue eyes. Her hair was a freaky color for a human; aquamarine, really. Piccolo frowned slightly.

"Bulma?" he said half-aloud.

"What?" the girl looked up, and her eyes sparkled in the darkness.

She suddenly threw her arms around his waist. Piccolo's face flushed a bright purple in the darkness.

"Hey, baby," she said in highest, most female voice, "You're so cute and dreamy…"

Piccolo blinked. It took him at least two seconds to register what was going on. The girl's eyes looked scary in the dark.

"I just came in here with my date, but let's forget about him!" said the girl, looking up at Piccolo and slipping her arm around his, "My name's Maron, what's yours?"

"…"

"Ooh, shy, aren't we?"

Maron's eyes twinkled. Piccolo was trying to keep his composure.

"…"

The other started gently dragging Piccolo to the door.

"Let's go somewhere quiet…"

"Um…I have a date in the 5th row…"

Maron didn't even blink.

"Oh, we can leave her! She's an ugly witch, isn't she? Bet it was a blind date, wasn't it? And now you're tired of her, right? Well, aren't you lucky you ran into me…"

They were out in the lobby. Piccolo's chances of being rescued were now minimal. Sotari was too absorbed in her now-favorite movie.

"No, really, I…"

Piccolo started dragging Maron back to the theater. Maron tried pulling him back, but he marched on until he reached his row. Sotari saw in the middle of the row, her eyes wide and her mouth mindlessly eating popcorn.

"I'm on my way! To victory and happiness to be…Uh-huh-uh-huh! Yeah! I'm on my way…" [sang the screen]

Piccolo took only a moment to started going through the sea of people sitting in the row. Objections, popcorn, and spilled soda didn't stop him, and most of the abuse (and food) found Maron (who looked rather sad…). By the time they reached Sotari, Maron was a sorry mess, with popcorn in her hair, soda soaked and dripping down the front of her clothes, and a lollipop some kid stuck in her hair. Sotari didn't even notice them.

"Sotari!" Piccolo barked.

"…"

"Sotari!"

"…"

"HEY!"

People were staring now. Piccolo knelt down and grabbed Sotari's arm. She jerked her head around.

"Wha…?"

Piccolo leaned forward and kissed her.

"OH MY GOD!" Futomi shrieked somewhere in the back, "OH MY GOD!"

There were tears streaming down Futomi's face and her eyes sparkled.

"I'M SO HAPPY!!!"

Some of the audience cheered, but a few spoil-sports wanted to get back to the movie. Sotari was one of these spoil-sports. She slapped Piccolo. Piccolo pulled away [a couple seconds later].

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!" Sotari screamed at Piccolo.

Piccolo blinked (as if he didn't know what he did!). Sotari stood up, rose in the air, and flew out of the theater. Piccolo still blinked in amazement. Jito glanced at his watch.

"We should be going anyway…"

Futomi was terribly disappointed. She cried out in a whiny, high-pitched voice as twin streams of tears ran down her face.

"WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I thought they were finally getting together!"

Jito let himself pat her shoulder.

"It'll turn out," he said, "Just cross your fingers."

~

8:05pm (they spent the time running around looking for Sotari-----quite uneventful):

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM!"

Sotari jerked her head to the right. Futomi winced.

"_Please,_ Sotari," she pleaded, "Hold still."

"I don't even know WHY I let him kiss me!"

The half-Saiyajin turned her head the other way. The other sharply let two twin tufts of air from her nose.

"Look, I'm trying to do your hair right now!" Futomi said in a controlled voice, "I can't do it while you're tossing your head this way and that and…"

Sotari looked straight ahead. Futomi sighed, and smiled a very tired smile. She went back to work pinning Sotari's hair.

"Aren't YOU going to dress up?" Sotari asked Futomi rudely.

Futomi looked pained, but also angry.

"This is YOUR date, not mine," she retorted.

"It should be!" Sotari replied hotly.

"And it isn't!"

"It can't be!"

"It is!"

Futomi stomped over to a mannequin. She yanked a dress off it and came back.

"Here!" she said carelessly, tossing the dress to Sotari.

Sotari went over to a three-sided folding mirror and grudgingly slipped the dress on. (§§) It was slim-fitting, long-sleeved, stretchy, and white with sparkles all over. There was a nice slit about five inches above Sotari's right knee. Her shoes were white and had pearls sewn into them. Sotari looked into the mirror.

"OH MY GOD!" she shrieked.

"WHAT?"

Futomi leapt over to Sotari in single bound. However, she slipped on something she left on the floor and made a grab----at Sotari's dress.

**_*R-R-R-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-P-P!!!!!!!!*_**

A gaping hole had arisen now, from the armpit to the hip, and posed a serious problem.

"IT'S A SIGN!" shrieked Futomi, waving her arms, "A SIGN YOU SHOULDN'T GO OUT WITH PICCOLO!!!"

Sotari looked expressionless.

"Then…then…" gasped Futomi, "Oh my god! Then I can't go out with Jito! And we'll never be able to date and fall in love and…"

She looked at Sotari, as if waiting for another sign. Sotari rolled her eyes and then gave Futomi a 'let's-be-serious-now-child' stare.

"I don't believe in signs," she said, but Futomi burst out again.

"IT'S A SIGN, IT'S A SIGN!!!!"

Sotari sighed and took off the dress. She walked over to a wall closet and slid open the doors. A single row of dresses were hung in front of her, each organized into sections according to whatever-order-that-made-sense-only-to-Futomi. Sotari quickly started going through them, tossing out a few every now and then over her shoulder to the floor. When she realized that the shoes were below the dresses on the floor of the closet, she did the same. Behind her, Futomi wept.

"No! You can't do that! Don't you see that-----ack! Those were in order! Put them back!"

The half-Saiyajin remained oblivious.

"There has to be something in here," she muttered, then casting a careless glancing glare at Futomi, "One that doesn't have the following…"

Futomi moaned as Sotari counted off a number of 'unsuitable' things for a dress. Eventually, Sotari snatched something from the closet and held it up. It was the perfect example of all things Sotari hated…

"…THIS THING IS HIDEOUS…"

Futomi gave an ear-splitting shriek, "THAT'S MINE!!!"

(§§) The dress was pink (obviously), with plunging neckline, and sparkly with sequins. There was a pink feathery boa, too. Sotari glared at the outfit and her eyes started turning bright neon pink. Twin ray beams shot out from her eyes, and the dress caught on fire. Futomi screamed as Sotari dropped it on the floor and started sifting through the pile of accumulated dresses and shoes on the floor. Eventually, she held one up… Futomi let out another ear-piercing shriek.

"OHMYGODTHAT'SEVENBETTERTHANTHELASTONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sotari smirked, but not for long. Futomi lunged and made a grab at Sotari's ankle. Sotari was swept from her feet and was dragged back to the chair.

"Come on!" Futomi said, when Sotari had mysteriously appeared in the chair again, "We have to fix your hair!!"

Sotari groaned as Futomi took out all the pins and stuck them in her mouth.

"Not again…"

~

[…Meanwhile…]

Jito had his back to Piccolo, holding up two separate packages in each hand.

"Boxers or Briefs?" he asked carelessly.

In his mental mind, Jito could visualize Piccolo standing nude behind him, looking totally pissed.

"Humans wear them---" Jito started to argue, "And it's indecent to go around without---"

Piccolo spat on the ground.

_Bad sign,_ Jito thought, then said aloud, "Why didn't you tell me earlier you didn't wear any underwear!? At this rate, we're going to late!"

Piccolo still didn't answer.

"Come on…" Jito wanted to look over his shoulder, but he knew Piccolo would probably blast him to pieces----if the Namekian wasn't going to right now, while Jito had his back turned.

Piccolo spat at one of the packages. Jito dropped it.

"Okay…" he said a little uneasily, "We won't have those…"

He tossed the other package (that was dry) over his shoulder, while landed in front of Piccolo. Piccolo glared at them.

_Why should I? _he demanded mentally.

"Suppose you get drunk," Jito said, "And you get out of your head and decide to do something crazy…"

A small, 'I-am-not-amused' chuckle came from Piccolo. Jito altered his tactics. He nonchalantly (or so he looked) went to the mannequin that was wearing Piccolo's tuxedo. When Jito thought it safe to turn around, he turned around with the suit on the hanger. His jaw suddenly dropped in shock. Piccolo (still refusing to wear underwear) was leaning against a counter and drowning down the bottle of dry white burgundy. Jito's eyes widened at how quickly the Namekien drank. He wondered, for a split second, whether Namekians got drunk…

"We were all lost sheep!" Piccolo suddenly burst into song, "Goin'----baa, baaa, baaaa!!"

Jito rushed forward, dropping the tuxedo on the floor and swooping up a pair of boxers. Covering his eyes in one hand, he waved the boxers in the other hand in front of Piccolo.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE," he yelled, "PUT THESE ON!"

Jito felt the clothing leave his hands. He waited a couple seconds, then dared a peek.

"There was a boat at sea! A boat at sea! King of Nipples going drunk-------On the island where nobody knows----doodoodoodoodoo!!!"

Jito put his hand in his face and groaned as Piccolo pranced around the room with a pair of boxers on his head, a towel tied around his neck, and mismatched socks on his feet.

"PICCOLO!" said Jito, still covering his eyes.

"See the little goblin, see his little feet! See his little nose-y-wosey, this is the goblin suite!"

"HEY!"

Jito briefly uncovered his eyes and threw the mannequin at Piccolo's head. It hit him quite accurately, and Piccolo fell flat on his face, but was still muttering a few songs…

~

[8:35pm, at 'Sakurasoo', a restaurant by a seaside…]

Piccolo stumbled into the main dining room, leaning on Jito's shoulder and still saying a few songs under his breath. Jito staggered and was nearly crushed to the floor by the sheer weight of the Namekian.

"God, I'm never doing this job again…" Jito muttered under his breath.

He desperately looked around for Futomi.

"Where the hell is she!? She was supposed to be here…"

Futomi suddenly appeared out of nowhere. (§§) She was dressed in very low-cut ocean blue dress that had no straps or sleeves, and had a wrinkled-type, poofy skirt. Her hair was done up in a bun. Sotari was nowhere in sight. Futomi looked exasperated.

"Where were you!?" she whispered fiercely at Jito, "Sotari and I have been waiting for over six minutes!"

Jito glared at her.

"You drive me craazy! I just can't sleep! I'm so excited—in too deep! Oh-oh craazy! But it feels all riiight! Thinkin' of you keeps me up all night…" [sang Piccolo]

Futomi's eyes widened.

"What did he just say?"

Piccolo sang something rude. Futomi's eyes looked ready to pop.

"Should he be out in public???" she asked Jito, "And what in the world is he singing now-----something about 'a dicky Dido'??"

Jito turned pink.

"Oh yes---it's a lovely hymn---isn't it?" he said a little nervously.

Futomi gave him a funny look.

"Riiiiight…Whatever you say…" she said, searching in her purse.

She pulled out a glass bottle of tablets.

"Here," she said, shoving the bottle in Jito's hand, "He should take these---"

Futomi disappeared. Jito managed to put Piccolo in a chair at their table. He unscrewed the cap and shook some pills into his hand. They were the size of horse pills! Jito looked at Piccolo.

"Can you----" he started to say, but Piccolo banged the table.

"Fish!"

A waiter appeared with a menu.

"Fish?" the waiter said, "What kind? We have…"

"Um, can we just have some water first?" Jito said quickly, then taking a glance at Piccolo, "And give him a large one----"

"Large one!" Piccolo exclaimed, "Wahey, get it? Sounds a bit rude----doesn't it? Large one----sounds a bit like 'bum'!"

The waiter was silent. Jito turned pink.

"Yes…He's a bit out of it now…"

The waiter nodded and went to get water. He returned shortly. Jito forced three of the pills down Piccolo's throat with some water. Piccolo choked, spat up two pills, and his head hit the table with a loud *thud!*. Jito froze.

"Oh my god, he's not…" Jito checked Piccolo's pulse.

Normal---he hoped.

"Christ, what am I going to…"

"Yoohoo!"

Jito sharply jerked his head right, and was stunned to see Futomi again so soon. Futomi was up on a stage with a band, holding a microphone up to her mouth. She smiled as people stared at her. Her dress sparkled.

"I would like to present to you, the star of the evening…" Futomi grew a little pink, "Cheval Sotari!"

A song suddenly blasted from the loud speakers. Jito didn't notice Piccolo suddenly jerk his head up as Sotari appeared on stage. There were a few ooh's and aah's, and Futomi clapped enthusiastically.

_*___

_Tu__ cosa fai stasera?  
Rimani ancora un pò  
sarà quest' atmosfera  
ma non mi dire di no_

*__

 (§§) Sotari came out all dressed in white (hint hint). The dress was reasonably low-cut, sleeveless, strapless, and the skirt ended slightly high on the thigh. There was a peacock-like train on the back that lifted off the ground. Her shoes were plain, her gloves white and not quite up to her elbow, and her hair was loose and gently gelled. Her face sparkled a little from some glitter Futomi rubbed on her face. She made an effort to smile… A very painful smile; she was biting her lip the tiniest bit. The lady Saiyajin's eyes searched the audience, suddenly wondering…

_* _

_Per farti prigioniero  
qualcosa inventerò  
ma che bisogno c'era  
di amarti subito un pò_

_*_

Piccolo stood up from the table and straightened his jacket, trying to regain some of his composure. All of a sudden, there wasn't any reason to be drunk anymore… It was only he and her there, and everything was suspended for their sake. Sotari stopped biting her lip; instead, she let her mouth hang open, just a little, so she seemed pleasantly surprised… Piccolo cleared his throat, wondering for something to say.

_*_

_Questo__ giorno è una pazzia  
ma la luna è amica mia  
se ti resta un sogno da buttare via  
soli in mezzo a una città  
Solo amici e poi chissà_

*

It seemed that some different music had come on, but neither noticed. The song sounded dim and dull; very unimportant. A bright light shone on Sotari, and all her glitter and sparkles sent dozens of bouncing stars. Another [bright light] was centered on Piccolo, whose wondrous eyes were staring into Sotari's.

*

_Poi non basta mai  
tante cose da dirsi  
e baciarsi e capirsi e stringersi  
poi non basta mai  
si fa tardi ma dai  
dove corri a quest'ora?_

*

Futomi's eyes twinkled in the semi-darkness. She was holding a pink microphone and singing.

*

_Just show me how to love you  
Io non ti lascio più  
gabbiano di scogliera,  
io sto, una favola, e tu?  
Just show me how to love you_

*

Sotari gingerly stepped off the stage, not wanting to slip and fall on her face. As if in a trance, Piccolo took a step forward. They simultaneously took the next and the next…till they were only about a three or four feet from each other on the dance floor. People danced all around them, but they still did not dance.

_*_

_Fame o febbre o quel che sia  
mi ci sento a casa mia  
dentro questo sogno da buttare via  
non mi sembra vero ma  
sembra un'altra la città_

*

Sotari lower her head, but her eyes shone. A demure smile played across her lips.

"Shall we dance?"

Piccolo hesitated.

*

_E non basta mai  
tante cose da dirsi  
e baciarsi e capirsi e stringersi  
e non basta mai  
è già tardi ma dai  
dove torni a quest'ora?_

*

Her eyes twinkled. Obviously, she had guessed he didn't know how to dance.  

_* _

_Just show me how to love you  
E ci ridiamo su  
gabbiano di scogliera  
ma dov'êri nascosto'  
dov'êri finora?_

_*_

She held out her hand. Piccolo brusquely took it in his, and then, in a very abrupt, yet courteous, manner, he knelt on one knee and kissed her hand.

*

_Tu__ cosa fai stasera?  
Ci ridiamo su  
magari un'altra sera  
ed è già domattina  
e la luna la spegni tu!_

*

"It," he said gallantly in Piccolo-fashion, "Would be an honor."

~

Further Notes:

Dido----No, it doesn't have anything to do with the British singer, Dido…If it did, she'd be pretty mad at me.

Cheval----I notice that many of the DBZ characters don't have surnames…So I got the French word for 'horse' and made it Sotari's last name.

**Sarah Brightman & José Cura – "Just show me how to love you (Tu cosa fai stasera)", Translation:

_Sarah: _

_What are you doing this evening?   
Stay a little longer  
it must be this place  
but don't say "no"___

_I will invent something  
to hold you prisoner  
what a need there was  
to love you a little so quickly?___

_José: _

_Today's a crazy day  
but the moon is my friend  
if you still have a dream to throw away  
us alone in the centre of a city  
Just friends and then who knows?___

_But it's never enough  
so many things to tell each other  
and kiss, understand one another, hold one another  
but it's never enough  
and it's late, but so what?  
where are you hurrying to at this hour?___

_Both: _

_Just show me how to love you  
I will never leave you again  
I, a seagull on the rocks,  
will be like a fairy-tale, and you?  
Just show me how to love you___

_Sarah: _

_Hunger or fever or whatever  
I feel at home  
inside this dream to throw away  
it doesn't seem true but  
seems another city___

_José: _

_And it's never enough  
so many things to tell each other  
and kiss, understand one another, hold one another  
and it's never enough  
it's already late, but so what?  
where are you going to this hour?___

_Both: _

_Just show me how to love you  
and we'll laugh about it  
like a seagull on the rocks  
but where were you hiding?  
where were you until now?___

_Sarah: _

_What are you doing this evening?  
We'll laugh about it  
perhaps another evening   
it's already morning  
the moon is sent away by you!_


	9. JAJ: The Frameup

Notes: song fic form-----sorry (but only if it bothers you!) The song is "Summer Nights", from Grease----not too sure if they're all accurate. I don't include all the verses. More notes on the bottom.

~

__

Summer lovin'

Had me a blast

Summer lovin'

Happened so fast

*

Jito dreamily leaned on the edge the stage, staring at Futomi with his chin resting in his hands and stars in his eyes. Futomi didn't notice him; too busy trying to sing without shattering eardrums. She was no Sara Brighton, but her voice was a definite notch above some people. 

__

*

Met a girl

Crazy for me!

Met a boy

Cute as can be!

*

Jito's hand slipped inside of his jacket. He pulled out a small, blue velvet box. There was a determined look in his eyes as he swung himself on the stage. Some of the band members exchanged looks, but they didn't stop playing the music. Futomi didn't notice him at all, even when he was right next to her. 

__

*

Summer days

Driftin' away

But, uh

Those Summer Nights!

*

Jito opened his mouth.

"Futomi, I…" he started, but Futomi's hand swung around and hit him on his nose.

Jito gave a muffled yelp and fell down on the stage. Futomi didn't pause her singing. 

__

*

Tell me more

Tell me more

Did you get very far?

Tell me more

Tell me more

Did he have a car?

*

Jito held his nose while his eyes got teary.

"Broken…"

He lifted his head and gazed at Futomi.

"God, I wish you wouldn't do that…"

The blue-eyed assistant managed to pick himself up and pull together his composure, while a band aid mysteriously appeared on his nose. He took a step forward, his mouth open. Futomi's hand swung around again. Jito ducked.

"Futomi…"

Her hand came around again and smacked the back of his head. Jito stumbled, but didn't lose his balance. Futomi kept on singing. Jito frowned, and grabbed her hand.

"FUTOMI!"

Instantly, the music halted. Jito didn't flinch. Their audience stared, the kitchen was quiet, and a bright light focused on him and the love goddess apprentice. Futomi's mouth was slightly ajar. Jito knelt down on one knee.

"Futomi…"

He pulled out the box. Futomi's jaw dropped considerably lower.

"Jito…"

The latter smiled. [Meanwhile, a certain couple quickly took their exit, by way of the French doors, to the sea… Jito and Futomi didn't notice them.] Jito bowed his head and opened the box with his finger. The lid popped open, revealing a rose pink diamond ring. Futomi stifled a high-pitched squeal with her mouth as Jito looked up again. He took a deep breath.

"Futomi…Okay."

He blushed a bright crimson.

"God…I've never done this before…It's just that you're just so wonderful and sweet that I'm afraid you'll refuse me…I'm not the best-looking guy in the world, as you've told me before, and I AM a dork…But…Will you marry me?"

Futomi smiled and cocked her ear towards him.

"What was that, Jito?" she said, purposely being coquettish.

Jito's face grew redder. He grabbed the microphone from her hand and shouted.

"MARRY ME, FUTOMI!"

Futomi took a step back, her hands on her face. Jito suddenly looked crushed.

"No? Y-you won't?"

Futomi leapt forward in a violent lunge, grabbing his waist.

"Oh course, my little love!! How could I refuse!! Yes, _YES_!"

A thunderous applause supported them. Futomi stood up, holding her fiancé's hands in her own. When they kissed, fireworks exploded near the ceiling, showers of flower petals rained down to the floor, and bells were ringing…Waiters crashed into one another, women cried, and the head chef started baking a wedding cake as fast he could…What chaos for just one proposal!

~

__

*

Uh, Summer Sun

Something's begun,

But, uh

Those Summer Nights!

*

~

The familiarly cold and friendly wind greeted Piccolo and Sotari when they reached the wooden threshold of a sandy beach. Billions of white tiny stars winked at them, and the full moon partially hid its face behind a wispy purple cloud. The sky was a comfortable black shade with scattered, but numerous lilac-purple-violet clouds. The air was cold, but it was a relief from the warm atmosphere of the restaurant and dancing floor. Sotari and Piccolo breathed in the frigid night hungrily, and exhaled their own little white clouds into the night.

The lady Saiyajin was the first to let go of Piccolo's hand. She leaned down halfway and slipped off her shoes. Leaving them on a wooden platform, she detached her peacock train and tossed it alongside the shoes. She took a small jump from the threshold to the sand, her arms and eyes raised high to the sky. Her hands seem to touch the surface of the moon, and sweep away the purple veil. She whirled around, smiling a little. Piccolo quickly followed Sotari as she was walking down towards the darker part of the beach.

"Saiyajin!! Where are you going?" he demanded [but hoping he didn't sound like he cared].

Sotari paused and looked at him.

"Isn't our date over?" she countered, then shrugged, "After all, those _two_ (*casting a malicious glance at the restaurant*) won't be looking for _us."_

She gave him a shrewd and suspicious look.

"Why do _you_ care?"

Piccolo hesitated only the slightest of seconds. He said the very first thing on his mind.

"Do you swim?"

Sotari stared.

__

"What?"

Piccolo repeated the question---slowly. Sotari snapped at him.

"Of course I can swim, stupid ass! I'm not…"

Piccolo's clothes were mysteriously flung away. He waded into the water. Sotari watched as he turned back and smile a fanged grin at her.

"Race you," he said, then slipped silently into the dark waters.

Sotari's face flushed.

"Oh no, you don't," she muttered.

She flew a little ways over the water and dived, not bothering with her dress. Neither one surfaced for a while. Though the water was black and murky beneath the surface, Piccolo and Sotari sensed the other's ki, somehow mentally calculating the finish point of their little race. It was in a path of moonlight that Piccolo surfaced first, followed closely by Sotari. Piccolo grinned again.

"I won," he said.

Sotari responded by shaking her head vigorously and splashing drops of saltwater from her hair to Piccolo's face.

"You had a head start," she retorted as Piccolo wiped away some water from his face.

"I _won_," he repeated, with more emphasis on 'won'.

She glared at him.

"You Saiyajins," Piccolo chuckled, "You can't stand losing, can you?"

Sotari's eyes blazed.

"I should kick your sorry arse for insulting me," she said huffily.

Piccolo's grin widened.

"And make enough noise to even arouse the attentions of the Brainless Duo?"

"They're proposing! They'll be drinking their bloody lights off!"

Piccolo's eyes twinkled.

"Mixing their drinks, no doubt…"

Sotari couldn't help but smile a little.

"…And getting married in a chapel…"

Piccolo leaned closer. His voice dropped to a murmur.

"…Having their crazy offspring…"

Sotari leaned closer, her voice also a mere whisper. Their mouths were almost touching.

"…Drinking some more…"

They pulled apart suddenly, jerking their gazes in opposite directions. Sotari was now looking at the beach, and Piccolo had a face full of moon. Piccolo cleared his throat.

"…Yes…" continued Piccolo, "…More drinks…"

He dared to look at Sotari again. Sotari's eyes shifted and gazed into his, but her head was slower turning to fully look at him.

"…More cat-eared brats…" she said, starting to lean over again, "…And green-haired freaks…"

"What's wrong with green?" Piccolo said indignantly.

Sotari smiled demurely.

"Nothing," she said, then kissed him.

~

*

__

Oh Baby,

Tell me more

Tell me more

Was it Love at first sight?

Tell me more

Tell more

Did she put up a fight?

*

~

Futomi banged the counter with her empty shot glass. The patient bartender, who had had much experience with such things, deftly removed the glass from Futomi.

"I wouldn't drink anymore, if I were you," he warned, eyeing her and the young man sitting together with a shrewd, knowing look.

Jito waved his hand shakily. His electric blue eyes were glazed and his cheeks flushed.

"Another Orange Blossom for my girl," Jito's speech slurred (for simplicity's sake, I'm 'translating'), "And…"

"I seriously think you two should go home," replied the bartender, then added sharply, "Separately."

Jito and Futomi burst out laughing, swaying in their chairs and nearly collapsing on the floor.

"Haha, but we're engaged!"

The bartender narrowed his eyes.

"I see."

He mixed a martini for himself. Futomi and Jito started making out. The bartender took no notice.

"So…Did you just get hitched?"

"Not yet," Jito replied after a while, "We're going to elope to the forest planet of Yuquiye…" 

He gazed tenderly at Futomi, his glassy eyes twinkling. Jito stood up, supporting himself by leaning on the table and holding Futomi's hand, but he swayed dangerously out of balance.

"…We figure that the natives there need us more than here on Earth…"

The bartender resisted rolling his eyes. He had heard stranger things before; so, the comment slipped out of his brain altogether.

"Wait, love," Futomi said, pulling Jito down into the chair again, "You promised me we'd go to Aether to get us wedding bands and get married at their church…"

Her eyes sparkled at the thought of a wedding. Jito stood up again, this time, pulling up Futomi next to him. The two lovers leaned on each other and waved farewell to the bartender. Then, to the bartender's utmost surprise, twin puffs of pink and green billowed out from beneath. The smoke filled the room and the bartender's nostrils. He coughed, then blinked. The couple was still there. Jito looked confused.

"What happened? Why won't our powers work?"

Futomi chuckled.

"Because, love, since we're going to be married, we'll have to travel together now---it's almost impossible now for us to travel separately."

Jito chuckled.

"Of course, of course…Silly of me. What color should the cloud be?"

"PINK!" Futomi squealed in a drunken way.

Jito rolled his eyes.

"Yellow it is," he said.

The pink and green smoke changed into yellow. They gathered around Futomi and Jito again, and the next time the bartender looked, the two were gone.

~

*

__

We did stroll

Drank lemonade

We made out

Under the dark!

We stayed out

Till two o'clock!

Summer fleeing

Don't mean a thing

But, oh

Those Summer Nights----!!

*

~

The blue-skinned, twin-horned employee jerked his head up from his work. There were sounds of drunken singing and stumbling in the hall outside the office. The worker quickly dashed from his desk to the doorway to take a look. No one was supposed to turn up for work drunk! His eyes widened as he saw the least likely figure to be smashed.

"Jito!" he shouted, and Jito (with Futomi leaning against him) stumbled into the office.

Every head looked up and stared.

"Jito!" the worker exclaimed, lowering his voice, "What the hell??"

"Kate," Jito said, trying to stand straight while Futomi was giggling insanely next to him, "Meet my slug, Gary."

"My name is Bob. And…What?"

"Joke! HA! But really, this is my fiancée, Futomi…"

Futomi did a clumsy curtsy. Jito lowered his head.

"Listen…" he whispered loudly.

The worker waved the air in front of his face.

"God, you're really smashed, aren't you?"

"Shut up and listen!" Jito hissed.

The worker shut up.

"Me and Futomi are gonna cantalope."

The worker raised an eyebrow.

"Elope," he corrected.

Jito went on.

"We want ya to do a favor fer us, Jeb."

"My name is Bob."

"RIIIIIGHT, Cakey-poo Elizabeth I. Anyway, me and Futomi want ya to tell King Enma we've bought it."

"Bought what?"

"Wedding cake!" Futomi exclaimed.

"No!" Jito said fiercely, "Died!"

The worker's jaw dropped ten inches.

"YOU WANT ME TO DO _WHAT_?"

Heads turned. Jito flushed red. He waved at them and the heads looked down again.

"Write up our report and make a note that we're head."

"Dead."

"Rrriiiiiiight. Just do that for us, will ya?"

"You know how many regulations you'll be breaking!!"

The worker started counting off his fingers.

"One: you don't have a blessing from the Tokyo Love Goddess (and, everyone knows, you MUST have her blessing for all Upper-World marriages!!); Two: no formal retirement ceremony; Three…"

"Okay, okay," Jito said impatiently, "Just tell 'em we're dead."

"But you two are _already _dead!"

"Look, Sitala…"

"IT'S BOB!!!"

"Whatever. Just pray with some incense sticks to Muta for everyone's silence on this affair! Also pray to Aeolis to release the Bag of Four Winds to scatter the information (burn a copy of the report and scatter its ashes into a tornado). And, if you're still not uneasy, sacrifice a live gazelle to Amon to keep it hidden. For insurance, attach a copy of the report to the leg of a messenger owl and send it to Amaunet."

Jito looked satisfied. The worker's jaw was stretched a little lower.

"You're asking me to pray to _ancient gods!?"_

"And goddesses!" Futomi added in a musical voice.

"But these gods haven't been practicing for thousands of years!!" the worker complained, "They're busy being retired! What makes you think----"

"And goddesses!" Futomi squealed in a high-pitched voice.

"The point is," Jito cut in, "Is that you make that we're dead and that nobody finds out about it. And I swear, you'll never hear from us again."

He gazed directly into the worker's eyes. The worker straightened up. His face was serious.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Jito, "Because, after this, you'll never be able to work here again."

Jito shrugged.

"Futomi's a licensed love goddess now," Jito said, "We just got the certificate last night."

Futomi took it out of dress, waving it in the air. The certificate looked like an overly decorated Valentine's day card. The worker shrugged.

"Okay…But it isn't my fault if you guys get caught alive on---where are you going?"

"Yuquiye," Jito replied quietly, "In case you need to contact us."

The worker nodded. He held out his hand.

"Good-bye, Jito."

Jito, apparently out of his drunken stupor (for now!), firmly shook his hand. Futomi smiled and giggled.

"Good-bye, Shakespeare!" she said (she wasn't quite out of it…).

The worker grinned.

"You'll find him in the second layer of Paradise."

Futomi sniggered. Jito saluted his now former coworker, turned around, and left the office.

~

*

__

He got friendly

Holding my hand

She got friendly

Down in the sand!

*

~

The worker dropped his head in his hands. His head felt like lead, and it was throbbing.

"God!" he exclaimed aloud to a dark office, "What am I going to do! This is going to take forever!!"

He dared to look down at the death report below his chin. Most of it was filled out, save for one box…

"Cause of Death!!" the worker bellowed, "_Cause of Death!!!! _HELL! I don't know what the f-ing cause of death is!!!_"_

He banged the desk with his fist, then screamed with pain. He shook his severely bruised fist and blew on it.

"Why'd I ever try to help _them…"_ he grumbled, "Just sos _they_ can elope off to _Yuquiye_!! _I_ wanna to go to Yuquiye!!!"

He took in a deep breath. He told himself he was behaving irrationally.

"Just calm down," he said to himself, "Breathe."

The worker allowed himself to breathe for a few minutes. After that period, he felt more relaxed and clear-headed.

"Okay!" he said, "Now…"

He went down his list of Possible Causes of Death.

"Vegeta? Nah, they didn't even meet him!"

His pen scribbled over the name.

"Earthquake? No… Tornado? No… I got it! Drowning!! Futomi doesn't swim a---oh, wait, that wouldn't work… They didn't go outside to the ocean at all, that was Sotar----Wait just a bloody second, I GOT IT!!!"

He was so excited that he leapt on his desk and danced.

"IT'S PERFECT!!" he sang in a happy voice, "SOTARI AND PICCOLO!!! HA!!"

He got off the desk and headed straight towards a cabinet. 

"I'll set up sos Piccy (Piccolo) and Ari (Sotari) will look like _they _murdered Jito and Futomi!" the worker muttered to himself, "It's perfect! All I have to do is _obliterate the record _that their date was successful and make _them forget that they ever went on one at all_!! Hahaha, I'm so clever I could just marry myself!!"

He swung open the doors, revealing a mini altar of some kind. The worker got out some candles and incense of different scents and lit them. Then, he prayed and waited. A few minutes later, a variety of ghostly forms appeared around him, their auras shining brightly within the darkness of the office. One of the forms, floated forward to the worker. He didn't flinch, but bowed, for this was Amaunet, the Egyptian counterpart goddess of Amon. She had a crown of golden, glaring, flaring suns and brilliant-cut sphalerites. Her very head seemed afire, and the worker was tempted to run for the fire alarm.

The goddess glared at the worker and her black hair rippled and quivered as she spoke: "Who dares summon the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Times?"

"Yeah!" spoke up one goddess in a cheap silver dress and band, "Don't you know that we're all retired!?"

Amaunet threw a nasty glare at the goddess.

"Keep your silence, Muta!" she snapped, "Or I will cut your tongue!"

Muta stuck her tongue out. Amaunet flushed and her aura flared, and Muta got sunburned instead. The minor goddess whimpered and Amaunet got back to the worker.

"Tell me, Mortal Bob," she said, "What is your Worthless Request of Us Gods and Goddess of the Ancient Times?"

"Actually," said Bob, I have a request for each of you."

"Oh?"

Amaunet seemed slightly interested. Bob repeated what Jito had said. 

He finished, saying: "So all we have to do is make them drink the Water of Forgetfulness---"

Amaunet actually smiled.

"A worthy task!" she exclaimed, but then added, "Why didn't you just leave it to me and Amon? We could've done it ourselves, Mortal Bob!"

Bob thought carefully. Then he smiled.

"I wanted to see Muta get sunburned."

Amaunet laughed a hearty laugh, and so did the rest of the forms (except Muta, who glared at Bob).

"Very well," she said.

She turned to leave.

"WAIT!" shrieked a voice.

Amaunet's face flushed.

"Oh no…" she groaned, and brown curly-haired young man with eyes like oval-cut amethysts appeared in a Greek robe that cut above his knees.

"Himeros!" Amaunet shook from rage, "How dare you show in our presence!!"

"I must have my say!!" Himeros said, "I object to this cruel operation!!"

"Don't push _me_ around, Himeros!" barked Amaunet, drawing herself, "You're only a minor god!"

"I don't care! I object!"

"To _what_?"

"That," and Himeros' eyes glowed, "You are permitting Amon to trick Piccolo and Sotari into drinking the water of Lethe!"

His nostrils flared, and twin tiny spurts of purple fire flew out. Amaunet did not move. Himeros continued.

"I will not permit this! Aphrodite [and her sons] would agree with me! You cannot make two lovers forget their love after only just realizing it!"

His eyes narrowed.

"Those two have been through much and sorrow to meet the one they love. And they shall not, I repeated, _shall not forget~!!!_"

More fire flared from his nostrils and he threateningly waved a golden-plated, foot-long stick with a winged heart at the head of it.

"I demand that the plan be adjusted to fit the happiness of Sotari and Piccolo!!"

Amaunet narrowed her own golden, black-speckled eyes.

"But if Sotari and Piccolo remain conscious of their memories," Amaunet said coolly, "they shall be living proof that Futomi and Jito are not dead!"

"They will lose each other!" Himeros argued hotly, "Their love shall be hate! They shall destroy each other, if neither of them destroys the Earth first!"

"Piccolo and Sotari will die long before that worthless planet ends," Amaunet, now becoming irritated, "I'll see to it myself."

"You!!" shrieked Himeros, "A cruel, heartless goddess! Not worthy being the counterpart of Amon, the preform of Amun-Re, the Mighty Egyptian Sun God!!"

Amaunet threw him a scowl equal to the evil beauty stare of the Gorgons.

"I am Amuanet," she said, her voice slow and gathering volume and might, "I am the Queen of the Triad. I rule all who is below me, and I shall not heed the words of a mere cupid!"

She raised her arm to strike him, but another goddess came between them with her arms up.

"Wait!"

Her voice was like dark velvet, and the room grew quiet. The atmosphere seemed to grow sleepy and tranquil, and people stifled yawns. The goddess, whose hair was a soft gold and littered with gently dazzling silver stars, and whose lips and cheeks were rosy pink, and her face pale… This was the goddess Hespera. One of her soft pale hands reached out to Amaunet's golden sleeve. Like a child, she tugged on it gently. In contrast, Hespera was the innocent child and Amaunet was the cruel stepmother. A wave of tranquility swept over Amaunet, and she lowered her hand. She lowered her eyes, trying to avoid the painful gaze of Hespera's bright azurite-malachite eyes. A deep sense of shame came over the prouder goddess.

"I…I…"

For once, Amaunet was at a loss for words. Himeros was silent.

"I withdraw my angry words," said Amaunet, "But I do not retract the plan to make Sotari and Piccolo forget their experience."

Himeros opened his mouth to object, but Amaunet raised a hand.

"Wait," she said, "I did not mention I was willing to compromise that part of the plan."

"In what way?" Himeros immediately inquired.

"I will tell Amon to forget his trickery and allow Aeolis to command the task instead. Aeolis will use the Four Winds to _sprinkle_ the water of Lethe on Sotari and Piccolo's heads. Piccolo and Sotari will not physically remember what happened in the past day, but the love that they revealed and shared will be acted upon on future meetings, though they will fail to find the reason for that. It is in this way that we both shall be satisfied."

Amaunet eyed Himeros shrewdly.

"Do you accept these terms?"

Himeros reflected briefly. He bowed low.

"I accept."

~

__

*

She was good

You know what I mean!

Summer Heat

Boy in the Mood

But, uh,

Those Summer Nights---!

*

~

Aeolis flew threw the night, riding upon the back of Notus, the South Wind. In his hand he carried a small, black urn filled nearly to the brim with the sapphire waters of Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness. He glanced below to check his distance. Yes, there was a beach… The god of wind caught sight of his target. He bade Notus to descend in a gentle spiral. Notus did so, and Aeolis was soon hovering over a sleeping couple.

As Aeolis uncapped the urn, he glimpsed at the couple, and couldn't help but feeling rather sorry for them. They seemed so peaceful in their sleep… The two were snuggled together, and the Namekian's arm was around the lady. Aeolis put aside his bag of winds; and, careful not to elbow his bag, he took a silver cup, dipped it into the urn, drew it out, and then gingerly sprinkled the water on the slumbering couple. They both stirred as the water noiselessly splashed on them. Though the water made no wetness, it was still cold, and could easily be felt. Aeolis stopped and waited; poised to leave instantly if they woke up.

They didn't. Aeolis breathed a small sigh of relief. He dismounted Notus. Then, after a long period of time, he managed to isolate each of them without disturbing their sleep. They lay side by side, separated by a good five feet. There was a reason for the distance, and Aeolis proved it. He picked up his bag and opened its mouth very, very carefully. The mouth was open not more than an inch when Bareas, the North Wind, slithered out as quick as lightning. Aeolis held up a stern finger. Bareas, though it could not be seen, its presence was felt, and it did not move.

"Bareas," Aeolis whispered to the North Wind, "I want you to carry the Namekian---as gently as you can---very far to the north. Don't go as far as Siberia, like you did last time…Rather, the Kita No Mountain Range. That's northern enough…"

He turned to the South Wind.

"Notus," he continued, "Take the lady Saiyajin. Be especially gentle---she's extremely sensitive. Take her back to the last place where she's been. That tree with the broken branch… Yes, that's good. I'll ride back on Zephyrus…"

He watched as the winds went about their business. Within a minute, they were no longer in sight. Aeolis opened his bag again, releasing the West Wind. He mounted, and then was gone…

…

That was it.

~

*

__

It turned colder

That's where it ends

So I told her

We'd still be friends

*

~

Sotari blinked; and shivered. It was freezing! She immediately sat up, rubbing her bare arms---Bare arms? She looked down.

"Oh my god!"

Not only was she sleeveless… Sotari stood up, furious.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!!!"

Her voice disturbed a flock of birds nearby. It was nearly noon, and the weather had taken a strange and rainy turn. Even under the tree, Sotari felt wet. She was barefoot, which made the cold freeze her feet as well.

"Where the hell did I get this dress!?!?" Sotari screamed at the birds.

The birds twittered. Sotari stamped her foot, trying to warm herself up. The smell of salt seemed to cling to her skin as she marched down the hill.

"What happened? Where have I _been_? I don't remember anything."

She halted at the bottom of the hill.

"This hill…I was here yesterday…"

A very small dot appeared in the sky above her head. Sotari took no notice, as she was occupied with her trying to recall yesterday's events.

"I don't remember anything…" she repeated, rubbing her temples, "I wonder what…"

The dot grew larger as it continued its descent.

"…And…Wait a moment!"

She held up her wrist to her nose and sniffed. Her face screwed up in scowl.

__

"Namekian!"

The dot was now an object, and it hit Sotari on the head.

"OUCH!"

It was surprisingly soft, and it bounced off her head. The object landed on the ground. Sotari looked at it.

"What the f---?"

She snatched it up. It was a doll! A rather idiotic doll…A Japanese man with painted red dots for cheeks. It was dressed in blue, black, and red, and its cloth hands held little flags inscribed in Japanese characters: "Hurrah! Love and Happiness! May You Have Many Children!" Sotari would've thrown it away in disgust if it hadn't looked so familiar. She peered at it closely. She even sniffed it…and instantly wrinkled her nose. Flower petals. Sugar. She gazed up at the sky, reflecting briefly.

__

Where did this come from?

Behind a cloud, a glitter, a twinkle… It caught Sotari's eye, and another sparkly thing suddenly burst from the cloud. It soared down to earth like a bright comet. Sotari held out her hand and caught it readily. Her eyes widened considerably. The object was a small yellow diamond, clasped to a thin chain. Sotari took in a deep breath.

__

"Well!"

She forgot about the cold for a moment.

__

…Piccolo…

Her eyes shot to the sky again. The cloud was gone.

"Strange…"

She turned the other way and flew up, clutching her possessions tightly. The 'cloud' appeared again, in a form of a girl with pink hair and cat ears. She giggled, and disappeared again.

~

*

__

Then we made our true love vow…

*

~

Piccolo's eyes were slow in opening. He awoke, but he lay, his cheek against hard stone, with his eyes closed, preferring to live the dream a little more…

She had kissed him. In the ocean. The moonlight… No stars…

He opened his eyes. No, only a dream.

__

…Only a dream…

He wished he could convince himself. Talking aloud could help. Piccolo sat up, cross-legged. When had he dozed off? He couldn't recall… The Namekian glanced at his surroundings. The Kita No Mountains… He hadn't been here in ages. Why was he here? Could he have possibly…?

The Namekian shook his head. It was impossible to explain; and he, so sorely confused. Something small fell into his lap. Piccolo did not flinch for a moment. His hand reached into his lap and closed his hand around the item. It felt hard. He drew it out and held it open in his palm. He stared. A yellow diamond. Piccolo's eyes swiftly searched the surrounding area while the rest of his senses were driven to hearing and sensing movement. Nothing… His eyes turned to the sky. Nothing.

"I'm seeing things."

How easily he could say that! But how… Piccolo examined the diamond closer. It was of good quality, obviously, and it was slightly opaque. It was attached to a thin, easily breakable chain.

"Useless human frivolity."

He kept it, though. Tucked in his sash. Then, he rose above the ground and started to meditate; however, something else landed at his feet. Piccolo allowed one eye to open. A velvety blue box. Irritated, Piccolo used his levitated powers to make it rise and hover in the air. He made the lid open, and a little slip of paper rested on a tiny pillow. Piccolo eyed the message.

"Love isn't as bad as you think. Have courage, and give it a chance."

Piccolo stared at it.

"Riiiiight."

The phrase echoed in his mind. When had he said that before? A green-haired kid…Dry white burgandy… What happened? Piccolo closed his eyes again, trying to block out the confusion. The lid of the box snapped shut, and it flew over to him. In his mind, Piccolo watched as the box slid into his sash and stayed there.

__

…One day…I'll remember what happened…And I'll know…

Sotari's face bobbed up again.

__

…I'll know it had to do with **her**…

~

*

I wonder what she's doing now

Summer Dreams

Ripped at the seams

But, oh

Those Summer Nights!

*

~

Further Notes:

Sphalerite---a jewel with a composition of Zinc sulfide, its crystal structure is cubic, and has a hardness of 3.5 (meaning, it's very soft and is easily scratch). They are usually very dark brown to black, but are occasionally transparent, yellowish brown or green. The transparent stones (that are cuttable) are usually found in Spain and Mexico. It has good fire (meaning, a nice glow), and has a vitreous to a metallic luster (and visa versa). Is not to be used for jewelry, because of its perfect cleavage (study Earth Science) and surface softness.

Boreas---the Greek name for the Wind of the North 

Notus---the Greek name for the South (or southeast, more strictly speaking) Wind

Zephyrus---West Wind. Yes, it's Greek.

Azurite---an azure blue copper mineral found in particular areas of Australia, Chile, China, Africa, and Russia. Its crystal structure is monoclinic, composition is copper hydroxycarbonate, luster vitreous, and a hardness of 3.5. Occasionally found in prismatic crystals, but are more commonly found in an banded or intergrown form with the mineral malachite. 

Himeros---Minor Greek god of romantic longing

Aeolis---Greek god of wind and controller of the Bag of Four Winds

Lethe---one of the Five Rivers of Hades; the River of Forgetfulness

Malachite---A monoclinic structured stone, malachite is composed of copper hydroxycarbonate. Malachite has a hardness of 4, and its luster is vitreous to silky. The stone is usually found in opaque green masses, the color derived from copper. The crystals themselves are very small, so what is usually done with malachites is that they are polished it many ways to reveal alternating bands of light and dark green. Malachite is found in small quantities in all parts of the world and larger quantities where copper mining is concentrated. Zaire is the world's largest producer of malachite.

Amon (Egyptian)---was associated with the wind or things hidden

Amaunet (Egyptian)---female counterpart to Amon, who later became Amon-Re

Muta---minor Roman goddess of silence

Aphrodite---Greek goddess of love and passion; Roman is Venus. Though Aphrodite is married to Hephastus/Vulcan (the hunchback god who makes the lightning bolts of Zeus), she has various affairs with Ares and other gods, thus having many sons. In the Roman mythology, one of the most popular of her sons is Cupid (who marries a mortal-soon-turned-goddess-of-true-love Psyche). No evidence found (yet) if Himeros is one of her sons.

Sitala---a Hindu goddess of skin diseases, including smallpox

Aether---what the Greeks call 'Light'

Diamond---Cleavage: perfect basal. Fracture: Conchoidal. Found: ultrabasic rocks. Composition: Carbon. Hardness: 10. It is the hardest mineral in the world, and can only be scratched by another diamond. It is also one of the most popular gems in the jewelry world, and comes in a variety of colors: colorless (most widely found), white, gray, orange, red, pink, brown, yellow, black, blue, and green (the last eight colors are very rare---especially pink diamonds). Luster: adamantine to greasy. Whether a diamond is transparent or opaque (or anything in between) can also determine a diamond's value and pricing.

Gorgons---three sisters in Greek mythology that had the body of women, golden wings of eagles, golden razor claws of lions, and snakes for hair. Their faces were beautiful, but so hideous and evil that one glance would turn mortals to stone. Medusa was the youngest of these creatures, and she was slaughtered by Perseus (who was trying to win a bet to save his mother).

Yuquiye---Indian forest spirit; also, a famous national park and forest in Puerto Rico

Sarah Brightman---an opera singer who sings in Italian, Latin, and English

Hespera---(Greek) originally the goddess of the dawn, but then became Evening

Amethyst (Quartz)---Composed of silicon dioxide, the crystal structure of amethysts is trigonal. It has the unusual hardness of 7 (pretty hard to scratch it), and has a vitreous luster (very nice). This stone can be found in shades of purple, lilac, or mauve, and is found in geodes and alluvial deposits. It is very common jewel, and some of the largest geodes come from Brazil. Amethysts from Russia, however, have a reddish tinge, and Canadian ones are violet. When heat treated, amethysts can be turned into Citrine, the yellow variety of quartz.


	10. Some Random Love Story

_"Koi ni ochiiru… To fall in love…"_

_I sit on a rock by the sea, whispering these words to myself. My hair is loose, draping over my shoulders like a stage curtain to a magnificent show. I shiver from the chilly breeze as the ocean brings to my senses the calming force that everyone seems to talk about. But my heart is not calm at all. Inside, there is a want; a deep and yet simple desire for any mortal like myself…_

_"Ren'ai… Love…"_

That is what I've always wanted from this life and nothing more. Just to have someone love me and for me to love him. Not want me…that is a different story entirely. But to LOVE me…for the sensation of my sweet soul, to accept my dangerous nature, to not flinch at the sight of my gaze…to warm my icy heart that has been as colder than steel for so long. I want the pain of this hurt to go away so badly. I want him to hold me in his securing arms and make me feel safe for once and to taste his reassuring kiss that tells me that everything will be all right… That is all I ask. Will this ever be true? 

_"Why am I denied this emotion?" I ask miserably to the waves as I bury me head in my arms, "It is so simple to love, so why can't I have it? Don't I need it? I feel so empty…"_

A lone, lifeless tear slides down my cheek, the only hint of any emotion in this jinounzingen. I feel like a puppet of some sort, rejected of any 'privileges' these humans can have, and played in this life for some cruel joke of entertainment for the devil. I smile in spite of myself, though, at the thought of men who had desired me before. 

_"What pathetic fools."_

_They had no idea whom they were dealing with. Such cocky, overconfident men who had nothing to do in their spare time. So they seduced women to the bed, but the thrill would never last long. But not me. They never realized that I wasn't one of them. No, but they were obviously too stupid to recognize that…until I cracked a few ribs. Back then I didn't realize that I was actually saving a few souls from their greedy hands, though some of them didn't really care one way or the other. But the few who were helpless virgins did thank me… Wonder why I never welcomed their appreciation… Heh, I suppose I was afraid of 'tainting' my reputation. I'll never forget them, though. Their own purity of heart deserves to be remembered… Enough of them, though, for now. Those witless girls were all most likely cared for well, with families…unlike me. I have no family. Gero wasn't; he was a monster, a traitor, a madman. But a genius, I have to admit. But I still hate him and his memory to the day…the day of my revenge on him and his creations. I can't help but hope that day will be soon, however my human half longs for it to never come. It is only proper of course… _

_My thoughts now drift back to my love. What about him? I could never have him. I never had the chance. I am a jinounzingen, daughter of Raditz, the continuation of a lost race of no love…I am the product of evil. No evil thing like me could ever be capable of love of any kind, not this time or any time. It doesn't matter that my mother was human, of which her loving blood flows freely through my veins. She could have been a Namek for all care, because it doesn't matter what whose blood I have. I can't love… and yet I yearn for it so badly…_

_"I want you," I whisper again to no one, "I need you. I wish you were mine. I wish you were real…"_

~

_I stand here, leaning against the bark of a tree trunk, listening. Listening to the few scraps of whisperings from the angelic lips of Saiyajin halfling sitting on the rock. Her head is buried in her arms, her light brown hair covering the shape of her beautiful body. I am sad to see that her back is to me, and that I can't see those heavenly eyes._

_"…I feel so empty…" she whispers, her voice setting off a strange thing in my head._

_I stiffen at the thought. This thought is churning in my mind, burning like a candle flame. What is this? It doesn't seem to be a childish idea any longer, but a feeling. And what would this be? I know it is something that Goku and Chi Chi feel when they're together. It is like that with Bulma and Vegeta, too, however much they seem to hate each other. Also with Tienshinhan and that Lunch girl. But it is something they also feel for each other as friends and as mothers and fathers to their children…Love…? Could it be that? I shake my head. It is not possible. Nameks are not sexual. We are----what we are. I only possess vague ideas of my heritage, but I know for certain that we cannot be attracted to the 'opposite sex!'_

_Or is it possible?_

_I shake my head again. Lately, that has become quite a habit of mine. That is, when I'm doubtful. Strange… I was never uncertain about something like this before…Not when I was Piccolo Daimao…I smirk in self-satisfaction. Sometimes, I can't help but long for those days, when everyone was terrified at the sight of me. Most of them still are, and it pleases me to see their fear…except for the few, selected Z Senshi. Especially Gohan and Goku. That halfling and his father got me good. I am still surprised at the fact that they managed to soften me up as their friend and model figure. The others don't seem so sure, but they readily accept me and my habits. They also respect me, too, for they actually know what I'm capable of. They've seen me grow back my limbs enough to know that! _

_I hear a sniffle from the woman on the rock. I turn my head in time to see the sparkle of a lone tear drip with a splash on the surface of the rock. I draw my breath in quickly before I can help myself. This feeling is raging and tearing inside my heart; I want to run to her and wrap my arms around her and tell her everything is all right. I want to kiss her sweet lips to smooth over the scarring memories of our pasts. I want to erase the hurt inside of her in hope that she'll accept me, too. I love her so much…but a Namek like me can never love. Simply of our heritages. She is half Saiyajin and half cyborgish human. And sexual. That fact should be enough to suffice both of us._

_I turn to walk away. But the space between us stops me, pleads with me. The whispering voice in the air seems to scream at me. Whether is it imagination or not, I do not know._

_"…I want you…I need you…I wish you were mine…I wish you were real…"_

_~_

A perfect night. The sky was a brilliant dark blue in the sharp contrast to the dotting white lights called stars, sometimes obscured by the creeping pillows of dark clouds which foreshadowed the coming of great evil. However, evil seemed to have hidden itself tonight as the sweet innocence of a single, round moon shone its enchanting light through the darkness. Sotari sighed as she looked up to admire the beauty.

"I wish my life was this beautiful…" she whispered to the stars.

"That's only if you make it to be like that," said a gruff voice behind her.

Sotari whirled around to see the dim, eight-foot figure walking towards her from the shadows of a palm tree.

"Piccolo-san!? I didn't see you there!" she wanted to say, but didn't.

Instead, she merely scowled at him, which was the only way she knew how to respond.

"What are you doing here," she snarled.

"Just taking a walk on the beach," replied Piccolo casually, "You?"

"Me?" said Sotari, a little taken aback, "Me?"

She turned her back on him again.

"…what about me…?" she said in almost a whisper.

Piccolo stood there.

"Like anyone _would_ care about me…" continued Sotari, not noticing his silence and dropping her hostile attitude, "I'm just a girl living in the world… Alone, but can take of herself after all… Why?"

"No reason," Piccolo lied.

Somehow, Sotari knew that this wasn't the truth. Piccolo knew, too, but neither said anything. Sotari fiddled with her hair, twirling it around her finger.

_A girl living in captivity is more like it, _thought Piccolo.

_Why can't I say anything to him!? _cursed Sotari in mental self-anger.

Only the wind responded to their thoughts. Piccolo cleared his throat. Sotari turned around again.

"What?" she asked.

"Er…nothing," said Piccolo, a little shakily, "Just got something stuck in my throat is all."

"Oh."

There was trace of disappointment. That only made Piccolo more uneasy.

~

_So. Piccolo-san is here on the same beach on the very same spot as I am. What a coincidence. Does the idiot even realize what I'm feeling right now? Does he even care? I steal a look at him from the corner of my eyes. He looks so handsome in this moonlight, the rays lighting up his most magnificent features. Especially those eyes of his. Those orbs of obsidian that hold more than what they seem to. How can one fear them? They are so beautiful… Almost princely. I almost giggle at the thought. But my heart hardens again. How can someone like me ever love a Namek?_

_What a fool I am…_

_I stare out at the sea again, wondering. Could I ever love someone like Piccolo? I smile secretly. Possibly. He was someone I had always wanted to love. He was stubborn, tough,( and yet so gentle), strong in spirit, loyal, not afraid of a good fight, and… I smile again. There was so much I knew about him…and didn't know. We are both hesitant about this love thing, aren't we? At least that's something we had in common. Of course, there was also the loneliness. We both seemed to love---and loathe---this giant black void what people call loneliness. We liked the fact that people feared us. We both love fighting. Maybe not necessarily killing, but only if it had to be done. I myself even hate killing people. Perhaps he feels the same…_

_But the question remains… Could he ever care for me, much less love me…?_

_~_

_BAH! NEVER!!! That isn't any bloody way possible that I could---that she could--- both of us could--- love each other! It wouldn't work out. The fact that we are different has already been stated, so why should I even bother to try? It was a mistake to try and come over here to her. I should've just walked away like I didn't care. That's the truth, isn't it?_

_Oh damn it all!!! This is so damn CONFUSING!!!!!!_

_I have half a mind to turn around and fly away, but I can't. It feels like I've been glued to the ground. What's happening to me!? I don't want to stay, but I do. I don't see what the hell's the matter with me. I've never felt this way about any woman before. NEVER. So why should, by any reason, feel it now? It is because of HER!? I feel so childish, standing here and not saying anything. But what should I do? If I walk away now, it'll only hurt both of us. If I stay, we'll…I don't know…_

_I don't get it…_

_~_

"Em…" began Piccolo again.

Sotari didn't move.

"Er…I'm sorry…" blurted Piccolo quietly.

"HUH!?"

Sotari spun around. She hadn't expected THIS from Piccolo! What was he saying?

"S-sorry about what?" she managed to stammer.

"Um…"

Piccolo felt scarlet-purple flushes rise in his cheeks. If he had ever been more embarrassed, it'd probably be now.

"T-that…" he tried to continue, "You're all alone in the world and that I'm sorry that you are…"

Anger rose in Sotari. She jumped up quickly, her cheeks slightly pink.

"Are you saying that you feel sorry for me!?" she half-yelled and half-screamed at him.

"No!" responded Piccolo hastily, "I'm just saying that if you feel like you need someone when you're lonely, you can always come to me."

His face grew redder. Sotari's face grew less pink, but she was confused.

_"N-nani…?"_

But then, she saw the funny side of this whole thing and started the only thing she could've done at that moment: Laugh. In fact, she was laughing so hard, that Piccolo just stared at her as if she was crazy.

"What are you laughing at?" he inquired incredulously.

"Oh…oh, _gomen nasai_, Piccolo-san!" giggled Sotari, holding her stomach, "But…I just want to say thank you for your offer… I'll be glad to remember it the next time."

Piccolo smiled, baring his fangs at her. Sotari stopped laughing and smiled back. It remained that way for a few moments. Suddenly, Sotari walked up to him and, standing on her tiptoes, kissed him lightly on the lips. (The look of surprise in Piccolo's eyes was priceless!) When their lips parted, Piccolo touched his lips with his fingers, trying to comprehend what just happened.

_DID SHE JUST KISS ME!?!?_

Sotari grinned: "That's two you owe me."

"T-two!?"

His eyes widened so much that you'd think that they'd pop.

"Remember…?" said Sotari playfully, circling her lips with her index finger.

"Uh……Um……… Yeah………God, I nearly fell out of the sky when you did that, impending battle or not…….."

Piccolo blushed again. But that didn't last long as he walked over to Sotari and made a grab for her wrists. Holding her wrists close to his face, he pulled her closer to him. She obliged, but came a lot closer than he expected. He smirked another fanged grin at her as he began kissing her hands.

"You know," he whispered in a low and sexy tone, "I _could _try again…"


	11. The Red Detachment: the Blue Train

The sun began to rise over the eastern horizon, spreading its pink and golden rays of warmth over the land. It was the beginning of another day, another time. Hardly anyone knew it, but this was the day their lives might change forever, all depending on the strength and endurance of a group of the Earth fighters, the Z Senshi. 

Two of them, Piccolo and Sotari, were watching the sunrise from a rocky cliff in the west. They were both sitting next to each other, their legs dangling from the edge of the cliff. Sotari leaned her head on Piccolo's shoulder and sighed.

Piccolo-san? she said telepathically, rather than speaking.

What? responded Piccolo in the same manner.

Ever thought of getting married?

The question caught Piccolo off guard.

"You want to WHAT?" he asked again.

"You know," Sotari said, clearly annoyed.

"…"

Piccolo blushed, a hot pink color spreading itself all over his cheeks and on his forehead. He had no idea what to say.

"Well?" said Sotari, blushing a little herself.

This wasn't the first time she had a brought it up. And it wasn't the first time Piccolo had avoided answering either.

"Let's go," said Piccolo gruffly, "It's almost time."

He flew off suddenly, leaving Sotari feeling the cold breeze he left behind.

"Piccolo!" she called, but he didn't look back.

Sotari curled up, hugging her knees, as if trying to ward off the cold.

"Stubborn jackass…"

A thought came to her, one that Sotari used to regard as foolish and stupid. But now, in this moment, and her love for Piccolo, maybe it didn't seem so silly after all.

__

They say…That two people destined to be together are connected by a red thread…

Sotari's eyes strayed to the sunrise, thinking. Such things disturbed the quiet and efficiency of her robotic brain. They caused immense confusion that took tedious measures to calm the storm. One did not want the trouble. Sotari sighed, hugging her knees a little tighter, like the pull of a tied knot. Her mind was wandering elsewhere, on Piccolo, flying with him towards an unknown future. She'd go anywhere with him, no matter how formidable the obstacle. 

A dark cloud entered her mind, posing as one of those challenges, and triggering her deepest fears. The vision of a huge, shapeless monster with glowing eyes and immeasurable power was forming in her mind, its claws gripping her fast and its shadowy influencing dripping like a black curtain over the world. There was no stopping this monstrous creature, no matter how many lives were lost or how much power one had. At any rate, It was going to win and It was coming for her, like the hunter that stalk the prey. 

Sotari grew colder as the day became warmer. Though the sun promised a bright day, the future looked bleak. The half-Saiyajin stood up and looked down over the cliff towards the black, unseen bottom. For a moment, she thought she'd throw herself in the darkness and end it all. Saving the Z Senshi the trouble of her disgrace. And Piccolo…He wouldn't understand at first, but someone would tell him in the end. Perhaps he'd even shrug it off. Sotari hesitated. No, she wouldn't do it, at the possibility of Piccolo's indifference to her suicide. But then---it wouldn't be like that---they had gone so far already…She silently cursed herself for being so weak.

__

I hate myself…For being a human…

Her keen ears caught the flapping of a cape in the wind, and Sotari jerked her chin up, her eyes searching the skies. In the far-off distance, she could just make out the familiar Namekian, fleeing from her awkward questions and his stammering responses. Sotari rose in the air, then hesitated again, alternating glances at the black hole and the Namekian. How she _hated_ crossroads! Such an air of indecisiveness… The half-Saiyajin's eyes lingered on the black hole as she timidly flew a few feet. She hovered, then flew another few feet.

__

So much reason for dying…Why not?

There was a sudden stillness in the air, halting the wheels of Time. Sotari could no longer hear the flapping of Piccolo's cape. She thought she heard him stop and hover, as if waiting for her and knowing better than to interfere with the importance of her decision. Or maybe that was just a trick of the wind. Sotari's eyes strayed from the hole and towards the east. So what if Piccolo was there? Would it really matter if he were going to watch her die? What---She hardened at this---if it wasn't him? Only a few seconds passed before Sotari began to fly east with as much speed as she could muster in her agitated state.

__

Wait for me…

~

Goku took a break from his last minute training to look up and observe the rays of sun lighting up the mountains. They were beautiful, like any other sunrise, but today seemed especially special. 

__

This might be the last sunrise I'll ever see.

Turning towards the west, he smiled as he spotted Piccolo and Sotari sitting together on a cliff. He grinned, shaking his head.

__

Those two…

I heard that, Goku! shouted Piccolo in telepathy.

__

I was just kidding, Piccolo! replied Goku, rubbing his hand on the back of his head, _Don't be so touchy!_

Shut up

Have you proposed?

Excuse me?

You know, the whole matrimony thing…

One of those pointless human things?

So, why not? Don't you love her?

…

She loves you, Piccolo…

It's not right…

What is?

Nameks are asexual

Piccolo, I thought you two got over that a long time ago!

There's something wrong with all this…

What could be wrong? If you love her so much, you should marry her!! Why are you holding back?

It's none of your business, Goku…

~

Overlooking the city, there is a mountain. And near the middle of that mountain is a small cliff that overlooks the city. Here is where Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Gohan, and Sotari are waiting. Waiting for something that was unknown and unnerving to begin. Starting in almost ten minutes, the mirai (future) foretold was to begin. Sotari's eyes shifted to something moving towards them. It was Yamcha, Kuririn, Chiatzu, and Tienshinhan.

"Hello everyone," called Yamcha, descending on the ground with a light tap.

"Long time, no see," said Kuririn nodding to Goku, who smiled at the sight of his old schoolmate.

"Gotten any stronger, Kuririn?" joked Goku.

"Sure did, old friend," Kuririn replied, "But I must admit, I couldn't have trained as tough as you had in the past three years!"

"Hey, Goku, I didn't see you at the Tenkaichi Budoukai," commented Tienshinhan, "I was in it."

"Did you win?"

"Oheyo, mina (morning, everyone)!" rang in a voice, interrupting the conversation.

"Hey Bulma!" waved Gohan, looking up at a Capsule Corp. vehicle, with Bulma waving back.

"Haven't seen you in a few years," she smiled at Yamcha as she guided the vehicle down on the ground with a slight bump. 

Yamcha blushed before he could stop himself. 

"Guess who I brought!"

Vegeta looked away (but watched from the corner of his eye) as Bulma took a baby boy from his car seat. Holding him out so everyone could see, her grin became even wider. A grin of pride, no doubt, as mothers' grins usually was.

"Can you guess who this is?" she teased, "He's one year old."

"Well, so we meet again," chuckled Goku in a babyish voice as he walked up to tickle the boy's chin, "Like I said, 'as a newborn,' right, Trunks?"

"Strange," said Bulma, "you've guessed his name."

"Well, it does seem logical, doesn't it," said Gohan, appearing beside his father to look at the blue-eyed baby.

"Congrats, Yamcha," said Tien, looking at a sulking Yamcha, "Are you the dad, I take it?"

"You wish," snapped Yamcha in a blunt way, "I'm already married."

"WHAT?" said everyone, "TO WHO!?"

"You remember Yamako?"

"Hmph," said Vegeta, crossing his arms, "Don't we all…"

"Well, um, we got married…"

"I never thought you'd devote yourself to someone, Yamcha," said Bulma, a little bitterly, "Especially to a Saiyajin."

"You should also be congratulating Vegeta," commented Sotari, nodding her head towards Vegeta (who was ever-so-slowly edging away…).

Almost everyone collapsed in shock, (anime style!).

"B…Bulma and Vegeta," gasped Tien in laughter, "Who 'da thought?"

"That's the Briefs family for ya," remarked Kuririn, who was holding his side, "They do the oddest things."

"It'll be even odder if you see what I've got," smiled Sotari.

Ever since she arrived, Sotari had had her back to the group. No one knew why, and no one seemed to question, until Sotari finally brought it up. She turned around to reveal a small bundle in her arms. Everyone gave an even bigger gasp than the one they had reserved for Bulma and Vegeta. For inside her arms, Sotari held a baby girl.

"W…who is that…?" whispered Chiatzou.

"Let me introduce Marissa," said Sotari, tracing the girl's elegant figures with her finger, "My daughter."

"Y…you mean…" Kuririn gaped wide-eyed at Piccolo, who remained as still as ever with arms crossed and eyes closed, "Y…you and P…piccolo…?"

"No, not yet," said Goku, who was also smiling with amusement, "Let's not forget that Piccolo is…"

"Don't say it, Goku," snapped Piccolo, turning his back towards the group, "Or I'll rip your lungs out."

"But…HOW!?" said Bulma in sheer amazement.

"And you wanna know something else?" grinned Sotari, nodding her head towards her leg.

Everyone looked to see a pair of pink eyes staring back at them from under some messy brown bangs.

"Oh kami (god)…" began Bulma, "Who's that?"

Sotari affectionately put her hand on top of a brunette boy.

"Naomitsu," she said addressing the boy, "Come meet everyone."

~

After everyone had calmed down from the recent news of each other, Goku popped up an interesting question.

"Hey, what time is it, Bulma?" asked Goku off-handedly, which made almost everyone wonder what he meant by the motion.

"Nine-fifteen," responded Bulma, looking at her watch, "Why?"

"It's time," said Goku, clutching at his heart and his tone becoming serious.

"Time for what, Tou-san (dad)," asked Gohan.

"I think you should know by now," said Piccolo, his eyes closed and leaning against a tree trunk, "Tell them, Goku."

"Well…" began Goku, putting on a sheepish grin and rubbing the back of his head, 

"You know those kids from three years ago? They were from the future, and they came to warn us about it."

There were shocks, but not that many.

"They told us that our future was to be doomed by the coming of two androids," continued Goku, his face getting more serious, "and that today is the day they are to attack. Two minutes more, and they're due to come… That's pretty much a brief synopsis of what's going to happen."

"Uh-uh," Sotari shook her head, "You forgot about your virus."

"Virus!?" exclaimed Vegeta, speaking up, "Don't tell me you're going to get sick now, Kakarotto!! I'm still not finished with you, you…"

But before Vegeta could say anything bad, Bulma strode over to and hit him on this shoulder. Vegeta looked at her as if she was crazy, but became silent. After all, she was his chosen mate, but that didn't stop him for more than a few seconds. And at that, he and Bulma had launched yet another one of their funny arguments.

"So anyway," said Kuririn turning to Goku, "What about this virus of yours?"

"Well, basically, I'm supposed to die from it," replied Goku, while watching Bulma and Vegeta with interest.

"You're going to die, Tou-san!?" meekly asked Gohan, his eyes wide and fearful, 

"When!?"

Goku turned to Gohan and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Gohan," he reassured his son, "I won't die just yet. In fact, I highly doubt I will, because that guy gave me a cure for it, too. I'm supposed to drink it down when the heart attack starts."

"And what would that be?" asked Gohan.

"It's a small liquid in a vial. I left it at Roshi's for safe-keeping, though, because the virus isn't supposed to be effective until later."

"Hey, what's that?" abruptly said Yamcha, pointing at something.

"What?" replied Goku, "Is it the androids?"

"I…I don't know…" responded Yamcha, "It all happened so fast. One second, I see something flashing in the distance, and the next second, it was gone, just like that."

He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

"Bulma," Goku said slowly, "What time is it?"

"Nine-seventeen."

Silence seemed to settle on the group.

"Well," burst out Vegeta, "Where are they!?"

"Maybe," said Gohan, "Since they're androids, we won't be able to sense their ki (energy)."

"Then we'll just have to find them then!" said Goku, his fists clenched, "Yamcha, are you sure about those flashes you saw? Where did they go?"

"Uh… Into the city…"

"Then let's go! Split up, mina, and if you see them, fire a ki beam in the air. Wattaka (understand)?"

"Understood," came some various replies, and within that space of time, everyone but Sotari, her children, Bulma, and Trunks had left.

Sotari turned to Bulma, her eyes beginning to water slightly.

"C…could you take care of them while I'm away?" Sotari stammered, holding Marissa to Bulma.

Bulma nodded silently and took the girl with her free arm.

"Arigatou…(thanks)"

Sotari kissed her son lightly on the forehead and smiled.

"You're so handsome… Just like your father… But you look like me…"

Two-year-old Naomitsu smiled his baby smile. Her daughter made a grab for her mother's finger and held on to it tightly. Her pink eyes twinkled in the sunlight and Sotari ruffled Naomitsu's hair.

"You take care, okay?" she told him as she began to hover in the air, "Don't give Bulma any trouble."

"Hai (yes), Mommy!" called out Naomitsu, waving back, then said, "I love you! And Marissa, too!"

Sotari kicked up speed and flew into the city, knowing full well what she was about to encounter.

"Well," sniffed Bulma, "Fine with them to leave me behind!"

Trunks gurgled.

"Oh, I didn't forget to mention you Trunks… You've got you're father's arrogant attitude, don't ya?"

Trunks murmured a yes as he settled himself in his mother's arm for a nap.

"But you've got my looks, so I guess I can tolerate you too."

Bulma walked to her hovercraft. But she couldn't resist looking back at the tranquil-looking city. The look on her face easily spelled worry. She blew a silent kiss towards the direction where her husband had gone. Sighing peacefully as Bulma started up the craft; she departed with some last loving thoughts to her mate, not caring whether or not he heard them.

__

Be careful, Vegeta…Wait for me…

~

The city was a bustling center of business, even today, when it was supposed to be actually a day off for most people. Unbeknownst the busy civilians, the Z Senshi were poised and searching various parts of their city in search of a danger in which would become very apparent soon. Piccolo was standing on the edge of a roof, scanning the streets below for anything suspicious. Tien and Chiatzu were hovering above the city-park. Vegeta was furiously probing the woods on the outskirts of the city. Goku, Gohan, Kuririn, and Yamcha were running through the streets on foot rather conspicuously. 

However, despite their rather close inspection, there were two figures they were looking for escaped notice. One was tall and skinny with white, flowing hair and a wrinkled old face. His companion was fat, Asian, and had a white face completely devoid of any color. The only similarities was that they both looked like they came from the circus, their cold blue eyes, the mission they had come to accomplish, and that they were both androids. And it was Yamcha who was to meet them first.

~

Mr. Uniey was blonde, had a caterpillar-like mustache, and a job at cake factory. Today, May 12, was an unusually pleasant day, with the sun shining and the prospect of a promotion. He whistled along with a song on the radio as he drove his five-year-old hover car to the golf course. However, he was rudely interrupted as he spotted an old man jaywalking across a street. Barely having time to slam on the brakes, Mr. Uniey cursed under his breath. Sticking his head outside the open car window, he swore at the old man, leaving all respect for the elderly behind. The old man slowly turned his head to face the red-faced Mr. Uniey, his cold, robotic eyes narrowing.

"Have you no respect for the elderly?" he inquired.

"What about the law?" countered Mr. Uniey, "Get out of the street old-timer; I'm feeling rather generous today!"

"I'll teach you respect," replied the old man, "For you have no idea who you are talking to."

"Ooh, I'm shaking," snapped Mr. Uniey in a mocking tone, "Just who do you think you are!?"

A fat, Chinese-looking man half-waddled and half walked beside the old man, his face devoid of any color or cheerfulness. He had the same eyes as his companion, and similar clothes, as both had a red RR logo stitched onto their clothes; over their heart and back. The Chinese man frowned. 

__

This "Mr. Uniey" has no respect, concluded the Chinese man as he used his cyborg sensors to research backround information on the man.

"What are you staring at, freak?" snapped Mr. Uniey.

"You shouldn't insult the great Dr. Gero," said the Chinese man suddenly, "For he is my creator and soon to be the new ruler of to Earth and bringer of death to all those who oppose him!"

Mr. Uniey was dumbfounded.

"What the hell you talking about!?" he shouted.

By now, numerous passerbys had stopped to watch this odd spectacle take place.

"I remember you!" yelled an old lady from the back of the crowd, "You were part of the Red Ribbon Army!"

"Red Ribbon Army…!" whispered the passerbys to one another, "Wasn't that at least ten years ago…?"

"Allow me to introduce ourselves," continued the Chinese, "I am Jinounzingen Juukuu-gou (Android 19), and this is my creator, as some of you might have known, Dr. Gero, who has recently been renamed Jinounzingen Nijuu-gou (Android 20)."

Juuquu-gou took hold of the ignorant Mr. Uniey's door handle, who was very panicky right now. With a single flick of his wrist, he took the door off its hinges.

~

Yamcha wildly ran through the streets with the will of a madman. People stared at him and kept their distance. No one had any idea what he was doing, or what he intended to do if he found what he was looking for. Yamcha suddenly screeched to a stop. He thought he had heard a scream somewhere.

But where?

"Damn it," he swore under his breath, "Where could they be?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Yamcha spotted a man running wildly up the street towards him.

"Hey," said Yamcha grabbing the man's shirt, "What are you running from?"

"P…Please," pleaded the man, his mad eyes searching for something behind him, 

"Let me go. There's just something crazy back there!"

"Tell me what it is!" demanded Yamcha, his anger and desperation rising, "I have to find it!"

"You what!?"

The man shifted his savage-like gaze to Yamcha's own black eyes.

"You've got to be crazy!! You don't want to be back there!"

TELL ME!!!" yelled Yamcha, his grip on the man's designer shirt becoming even tighter.

"Okay, okay," said the man, sweat tracing the inelegant features of his face, "There's a couple of things back there and they just threw a car…"

"Thanks."

Yamcha quickly threw the man aside on the pavement as he ran towards the direction the man had pointed to.

__

Couldn't be…

Yamcha abruptly stopped again at the sight of recent destruction. Surveying the damage, Yamcha noted that someone, or something, had indeed thrown a car and it had imbedded itself in a concrete wall. There were also some signs of scuffling, but no other signs of life or death showed itself on the deserted street. However, unknown to Yamcha, the very jinounzingen he was looking for were perched on top of a roof, using their sensors to find backround information on their newly arrived soon-to-be-victim.

"The human down there is named Yamcha," said Juuquu-gou to Nijuu-gou, 

"According to my sensors, he is one of the Z Senshi."

"Very well," replied Nijuu-gou, "Let us deal with him and be done with it."

The duo leapt from the roof to only land in front of Yamcha, whose look of surprise was truly priceless.

"It's…it's you!" whispered Yamcha.

Nijuu-gou grabbed Yamcha by his face, covering Yamcha's nose and mouth to prevent him from breathing. Yamcha made no reaction except to fire a single ki blast into the air. He could just feel his life began to slip. Hanging in the air with android blocking your airways wasn't the average or the nicest way to die. 

"Just wait until Son Goku feels my wrath…"

Yamcha's eyelids began to droop, his battle with the cyborg almost pathetically over. Nijuu-gou threw back his head and started to laugh his menacing laugh. Through Yamcha's mind ran all sorts of unprintable curses on this enemy of his. It seemed as though the last thing he would hear while leaving this world would be that evil laughter echoing like the ringing in his ears. 

__

Good-bye world!

However, it wasn't meant to be.

"What the hell…" 

Nijuu-gou suddenly snapped his head to his side to see a blurred figure rushing towards him.

"Hell?"

Yamcha suddenly felt himself rudely dropped on the sidewalk like a ton of bricks, his forehead making a dull thud on contact. He looked up wildly to see that Nijuu-gou had been hit in the face and crashed though the side of a nearby truck and made a huge indent in a brick wall. Wincing, Yamcha couldn't imagine how much pain that would've caused. 

__

Do androids feel pain? Yamcha wondered.

He jerked his head the other way to see that his rescuer was none other than Sotari, who was now facing Juuquu-gou, her hand splayed in front of his pale face, poised to fire. Despite the throbbing pain that began to pound slightly in Yamcha's forehead, he couldn't help but smile. Juuquu-gou actually looked scared.

"Y…you're one of them…" hissed Juuquu-gou, his pale blue eyes narrowing.

"I don't know," replied Sotari, her teeth gritted, "But really, Juuquu-gou, you think that you could kill anyone without my permission?"

The smile on Yamcha's face vanished.

"…'Without permission'…?" he echoed, "Since when…?"

Sotari turned her head to face Yamcha, but her hand never left its place.

"Haven't you figured it out yet," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, with the slightest trace of sadness.

Then it hit Yamcha. And hard.

"You're one of them!!" he screamed at Sotari, backing away, "You never told us!?!?"

"No," replied Sotari, her voice flat and expressionless, "I figured you'd find out eventually."

"But what about Piccolo?"

Sotari fell silent.

"Do you realize that…?" said Yamcha, standing up, his fury building inside of him for this betrayal.

"There's nothing to be done now. I have a mission and it's clear to see that I'm supposed to fulfill it."

Sotari turned back to Juuquu-gou. Her eyes suddenly flashed white, and she spoke again, only in a steely, cold tone, almost like a machine. The ki from her was slowly flaring up in purple-black flames. A smile lit the face of Nijuu-gou as he extricated himself from the wall, hearing words he himself had repeated so long ago.

"My mission is as clear as crystal. I am to destroy the Z Senshi. I am reborn as a new evil to bring upon the Earth destruction and chaos. My master is Dr. Gero, instilled within me is his hate and his evil. I am his creation."

~

Piccolo was almost there, but from what he could sense, something weird and strangely evil was happening. Yamcha's ki had almost disappeared but it had reappeared. What had happened? And now, there was this sudden burst, rather explosion, of an evil-like ki spreading around the area. He hovered in the air, watching the chaos roll out from beneath him.

"What the hell is going on?" Piccolo yelled as he spotted Yamcha, hiding behind a truck.

Yamcha looked up at Piccolo and pointed at Sotari. Piccolo's eyes shifted to see that it was Sotari who had the evil ki. Then, spotting the two men, one stuck in a wall and the other in front of Sotari, Piccolo knew that those were the jinounzingen. Goku suddenly appeared with the others beside him next to Piccolo.

"What's going on?" Goku's eyes darted here and there, taking in the whole scene in almost an instant.

"It's that halfling Saiyajin," growled Vegeta, whose eyes were beginning to burn with fury, "SHE'S TAKING MY FIGHT AWAY!!"

He started to fly down, but Tien blocked his way.

"Wait," he told the impatient prince, "Let's wait to see what happens."

"But we have to take this fight somewhere else!" complained Goku, "There's too many innocent people here!"

Suddenly, Sotari looked up in the sky, as if sensing the Z Senshi's presence. She nodded at Goku, telling him that she had heard what he said. Goku motioned to the others and flew down, and they followed in suit. Sotari's ki faded slightly as she straightened up from her stance, her eyes tracing the Z Senshi's every movement as each landed on the ground. Her eyes rested on Piccolo especially.

"Would you care to explain what the hell is going on here?" Piccolo demanded.

He started to advance towards Sotari, who stiffened at his approach.

"Piccolo!"

Yamcha jerked his head to see the eight-foot Namekian standing in front of the truck.

"S-sotari is one of them! Get back!"

Piccolo stopped in mid-stride to stare at Yamcha in bewilderment.

"What the hell are you talking about!"

"Sotari is jinounzingen! Don't you get it?"

Everyone shifted their gazes to Sotari, who crossed her arms in disapproval.

"I'm not a jinounzingen," she stated clearly, her eyes narrowing to almost mere slits.

"Not a jinounzingen, huh?" accused Kuririn, "Then how come you've got the same eyes as the other two, huh?"

Sotari shifted her gaze to Juuquu-gou and Nijuu-gou. She frowned.

"You idiot," she replied, her eyes focused on Kuririn, "My eye color is different, don't you see?"

Kuririn, however, didn't give up the argument that easily.

"B-but, uh, the shape is the same!"

Her eyes settled on Kuririn's round, black eyes.

"But I'm not one of them. Not a true model of one anyway…"

"Oh yeah!? Prove it!"

Sotari looked down at her feet. Piccolo's look changed from bewilderment to pure fury. Strangely enough, he didn't try to attack her. Otherwise, it there would've been a very bloody mess on the street right there and then.

"Perhaps it would be better if I explained all this."

Everyone looked at the speaker. It was Nijuu-gou.

"I am the former Dr. Gero. You see, it is true, Sotari, that you are one of us," he said, looking at Sotari, who seemed to be getting uncomfortable, "But then, she isn't."

"What do you mean?" snarled Piccolo.

His anger within began to build furiously in his silent form. Nijuu-gou smiled coolly.

"Sotari is my one of my greatest creations," he continued, "Being only second to my best."

Everyone waited for him to say what his best creation was, but instead, he moved his explanation on.

"Sotari was my orphaned niece. And, being that she already had some unusually strong fighting blood in her, she was perfect for my experiment. What you see there, is the product of my most advanced techniques of science in which to convert…"

"Just move on, master, I don't think they're very patient for all the details," interrupted Juuquu-gou, who was beginning to see that Vegeta was getting anxious to fight.

"You're right… Anyway, it was successful. Sotari, being the first model of my new "biological jinounzingen" series, it paved the way to my best creation ever. And…"

He turned towards Sotari, his eyes glinting with evil pride in the sunlight.

"…She is to be the…"

"Let's cut the talk and get to the fighting!" yelled Vegeta, his ki suddenly flaring up, "I'm tired of waiting!"

Nijuu-gou looked hurt, but didn't say anything. He looked at Goku, the object of his revenge.

"Knowing you," he said, "We won't fight here, will we?"

Goku nodded.

"We're gonna fight in the mountain range. It's not far from here, if you must know."

Gero nodded and smiled again.

"Yes, I know where that is, for I am quite familiar to it."

"But I'm not gonna teleport you and your partner there, if you're wondering."

"No, no, I don't mind. We'll have company…"

His eyes turned to Sotari, whose eyes were still on the ground. Who knew what she was thinking, especially with Piccolo's glare bearing down at her.

"…Won't we, mei (niece)?"

Sotari's head snapped to attention at the term. She bared her teeth in anger.

"Don't you dare call me that, after what you've done to me, bastard," she said slowly, in the way people tend to do when their teeth are gritted.

Gero chuckled.

~

Kuririn kicked a rock, making it roll over the edge of the cliff and bounce its way down to the bottom. Goku looked towards the sky, looking for a sign of the androids that had promised them for a fight. Tienshinan, Chiatzu, Vegeta, and Gohan were all standing around looking serious, while Piccolo on the other hand, stood in one place like a statue. His arms crossed, he carried an emotionless expression on his face, not even giving a hint about what was going on inside of him and his thoughts about all this.

__

Damn you, Sotari, how could you do this?

Piccolo felt hurt, empty, and betrayed of his feelings and of his trust to Sotari. The only person who had ever shown him what it was like to be truly loved by another… the only one whom he had entrusted his deepest, darkest secrets to… the only one who had given him a sense of belonging to this life… His everything… 

He shook his head, harder than he intended to, as if to shake away the memories of the past years he had known her. It seemed all to clear now, for now he knew the truth of Sotari, and the mystery behind her past. A jinounzingen of Gero's, and from what he gathered, of the most deadliest of sort, who was just playing and toying along with the Z Senshi all along, particularly him. He frowned.

__

What I fool I was…That damn woman!

He remembered… The very first time he had actually talked to her. That was on top of Kami's Lookout, wasn't it, just before the defeat of the demon sensei. She had been crying, and Piccolo was merely curious about that. He had seen beautiful women before, but they never struck him as anything. Sotari was pretty, but wasn't it. It was probably the sense of confidence and, perhaps, her cockiness, and that trademark pride of the Saiyajins that made him curious. Or maybe it really did have with her beauty…A woman with pink eyes like Sotari's was pretty rare. He smiled slightly as he recalled her calling him "bakayarou (stupid, idiot, fool)". What irony! He shook his head again, afraid this old memory would soften him up in some way. Yet…

"Hey, Namekian, pay attention! The tin cans are here."

Piccolo smiled. He was glad for Vegeta's interruption for once. Turning the other way, he tilted his head back to see the three figures coming towards them. His frown disappeared as Sotari landed before the two others. She cast a careless look at him, her arms crossing. Piccolo mimicked her movements, as if in a trance. He smirked a little, recalling the times that he thought she was cute when she was furious at him…Used to… No words passed the air between them. Noises sounded in the backround, but neither took particular notice of this at all. They were in a separate world of their own, one that they had nothing but contempt and hatred for one another and yet…

"Hey, what are you doing, Namekian, let's get a move on," Piccolo heard Vegeta's impatient voice again.

It sounded distant and forlorn, as if part of another world. Sotari turned to follow her uncle, but kept her pink eyes on Piccolo. Piccolo moved towards his group, unsure of what was going to happen. He hadn't heard anything what Goku or Gero said, but it was clear that the fight was going to start. He wondered if Sotari had heard, too.

__

Wait for me…

~

The wind stirred his wild black hair as the Earth warrior looked upon his enemy, pondering on what techniques the cyborg would use. Juuquu-gou did the same, though his search was based on very old information that had been stored into his brain a very long time ago. He smirked.

"According to my information," he squeaked, taking up a fighting stance, "You should be easily beaten, Son Goku."

Goku didn't say anything as he himself took a stance. However, he couldn't help but smirk himself.

"That's where you're wrong, Juuquu-gou."

At that, Goku flared up Super Saiyajin. Juuquu-gou stared, amazed and wide-eyed.

"What is this? I have no information on this technique…"

He turned to Nijuu-gou, who stood some distance behind him.

"What do I do, Nijuu…?"

However, he never got to finish his sentence. Goku had charged and gave a nice wallop to Juuquu's stomach. Even though he felt no pain, Juuquu-gou grunted. At this, Goku showered him with punches and kicks to the head and stomach and finally delivered a nice back kick to the jinounzingen's legs, knocking the android on his back. Juuquu-gou stared at the speed of his opponent, unsure of what to do at this point. Seeing his surprise, Goku smirked again as he rose in the air and crowed a battle cry. The cyborg's eyes only widened more as red and gold energy surrounded Goku's body, making the Saiyajin look menacing. He smiled as he splayed his hand to prepare the final blast.

"Juuquu-gou, you fool," muttered Nijuu-gou, his icy eyes narrowing, then turning to Sotari, "What do you make of it, mei?"

Sotari said nothing.

"Answer me! I know I've seen this technique before! You've shown it to me before I…"

"Shut up, Gero," snapped Sotari in a low voice, "It won't help. Juuquu-gou's finished."

~

On the other side of the field, Gohan cheered on his father.

"All right, Dad!! You almost got him! Just one more blast!"

Kuririn couldn't help but shout, too.

"Yeah, and then it's just the other two, Goku!!"

Only Piccolo and Vegeta hadn't said anything. Vegeta was furious at Goku's success, as much as he was glad that he was defeating them.

__

Stupid Kakarotto!! Why hadn't you let me have the chance? I have always been in your shadow, haven't I, Kakarotto? Always. I've never gotten the proper chance to prove myself because you're always the one who ends up saving us…why not me, Kakarotto, why not me!?

Suddenly, all at once, everything stopped. None of the Z Senshi could see Goku's expression as his ki level suddenly plunged to normal, his golden hair returning to black. It took a few seconds for the group to grasp what had had happened.

"The virus!" shouted Gohan, remembering what Goku had said earlier, "God, it's come!"

"But, but…" stuttered Yamcha, shaking in his boots, "It's too early!"

"The mirai (future) foretold," said someone.

~

Nijuu-gou, however, was delighted, while Juuquu-gou relaxed and smiled.

"A virus, eh?" he chuckled weakly, "So you will be easy to beat after all."

Goku said nothing as his breathing became ragged, his heart quickening its pace in a desperate effort to pump blood, a great weight on his chest becoming heavier by the second. His vision blurred, his head feeling like lead as he began to lose consciousness bit by bit. He was slightly aware of somebody punching him, the hits sounding dull and thick against his tough skin. Strangely enough, he did not feel pain. Air rushed past his ears as Goku hit the ground in a faint.

"Oh my god…Goku…" murmured Tien.

Nijuu-gou chuckled slightly as Juuquu-gou smiled victoriously.

"Somebody take him to Muten Roshi's!" yelled Kuririn, desperately looking at the others behind him, "We've got to give him the antidote, quick!"

No one moved, however, for they all knew that whoever took Goku to Muten Roshi would have to face Chi Chi. Finally, what seemed like forever, Yamcha stepped forward.

"I'll go," he volunteered, his voice matter-of-fact.

Flying over to Goku, no one stopped him. Not even the cyborgs moved. Juuquu-gou did move to try and attack Yamcha, but Sotari moved in front of him, blocking his way.

"Let him go, Juuquu-gou," she said, her voice icy in a sort of half-snarl, "Or shinei (die) with shame."

Juuquu-gou looked slightly startled at the sight of Sotari's splayed hand in front of his face.

"But he'll get away," he whined.

"It won't make any difference," snapped Sotari curtly, her voice suddenly more forceful than intended, "The inevitable will happen."

Everyone, though still edgy about Sotari being one of the enemy, was nonetheless grateful for her insistence. Kuririn looked at Sotari and mouthed his thanks to her. Sensing this, Sotari nodded back at him ever so slightly. Juuquu-gou backed off, as in respect to Sotari, for even he was aware of how powerful she was. Piccolo nodded, too, but for different purposes.

__

Damn you to hell anyway, Sotari.

Sotari shifted her gaze to look into the Namekian's jet black eyes in understanding. Not wishing to look into the eyes of a traitor, Piccolo winced and turned away.

__

To hell with you, too, Piccolo-san.

~

"Hang on, Goku!" reassured Yamcha to his friend, "We'll be there at Roshi's any minute!"

Yamcha wasn't sure if Goku could hear him, but it seemed important to keep talking to Goku anyway. It made him feel better. And Goku seemed to be still breathing, and actually made little movements in response to some of Yamcha's comments. So that was a good sign….hopefully. 

"Be damned, I can't do anything…"

He quickly turned the sick Goku over to Chi Chi (who had given him quite a beating) and headed back to the others as fast as he could.

~

Vegeta stepped forward, eager to fight.

"The tin can's mine," he stated simply, staring into Juuquu-gou's eyes, then looking at Nijuu-gou and Sotari, "Then it'll be your turn…"

Vegeta flared up Super Saiyajin, just as Goku had done before, and charged. Ready, Juuquu-gou fired a ki blast directly at him, but the warrior simply brushed it off with a wave of his hand. Surprised, Juuquu-gou stepped back, but that was a mistake. Taking advantage, Vegeta gave a mighty punch to Juuquu-gou's stomach, the fist nearly penetrating the cyborg's tough body. Its shape could clearly be seen through Juuquu-gou's vest on his back. Nijuu-gou stared, wide-eyed with amazement at the display of power. Suddenly, Juuquu-gou recovered from the blow and grabbed Vegeta by the wrist and started laughing. Vegeta stood there, looking at the cyborg.

"What the hell do you find so damn funny, tin can?" he asked flatly.

"I am going to drain all your energy, Vegeta," replied Juuquu-gou, grinning broadly from ear to ear, "And then defeat you!"

"How amusing, scrap doll."

"No, no, I…"

"Brainless fool!"

With that, Vegeta snapped his hand back and punched Juuquu-gou square in the face, snapping Juuquu-gou's head back. Smirking, Vegeta proceeded to take advantage of Juuquu-gou's shock to give him a good kick in the side and a smooth low kick around his ankles, sweeping Juuquu-gou off his feet and forcing him to let go of his wrist. Before Juuquu-gou could hit the ground, Vegeta grabbed the cyborg's wrists in his hands and put his feet on the pale cheeks of Juuquu-gou, his white boots blending in almost perfectly.

"You stupid jinounzingen," laughed Vegeta as he pulled Juuquu-gou's wrists and pushed against his cheeks, "You thought that Kakarotto was more powerful than me. Well, guess again, because I, Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyajins, have reclaimed the throne of the most powerful in the universe!"

With that comment, Vegeta pulled/pushed extra hard, and with a terrific snap, Juuquu-gou's arms came off, rendering the jinounzingen practically useless. Smirking, Vegeta watched with sadistic pleasure as the panicked cyborg ran off in the other direction, leaving his pointed hat behind. Vegeta tossed the limbs aside and flew up in the air after the running mechanical menace. He splayed his hands in front of him.

"See you in the Underworld, tin can," he said, "Shinei (die)."

Juuquu-gou kept running. He was well aware of the attack that was about to blast him to bits, for he could feel the heat of it already beginning to melt some of his backside. However, the madness of his mind of running away kept him going, no matter whether he escaped or not.

"Gyarikku Ho (Gallet Gun!)!"

The heat was overwhelming as the blast collided with Juuquu-gou, ripping his intricately built body to mere shreds of metal as wavering billows of pressure spread in a giant circle. Nijuu-gou shielded himself from the bits of cyborg flying around, while the others merely watched the scene with a new respect towards Vegeta. Sotari watched as Juuquu-gou's lifeless head fly through the air and bounce like a ball, stopping at her feet. Kicking it, she scowled.

"Idiot fool."

Otherwise, there were actually a few cheers among the group on the other side.

"All right, wait to go, Vegeta!" whooped Gohan, grinning with delight, as if he himself had just destroyed the jinounzingen.

"I had no doubts," said Tienshinhan, holding out a hand towards Vegeta, who was flying towards the group, "Though I hate to say it, congratulations."

"Hang on, cyclops," snapped Vegeta, "We've still got two more," then turning to Kuririn, "Gimme one of those magic beans!"

Startled, Kuririn drew back a little, clutching to the little bag of precious Senzou that he got from Yajirobe.

"Why would you need any," he asked cautiously, "You're a Super Saiyajin now, aren't you?"

Vegeta scowled at the stubborn billiard ball.

"I may be Super Saiyajin, cue ball, but that bastard of a jinounzingen managed to sap quite a lot of energy all the same, so GIVE ME ONE."

"All right then," said Kuririn, frowning at his insistence, "If you must, then."

He reluctantly reached into the bag and drew one out.

__

I'll give him a small one, the stupid prince. Thinks he so hot, huh, just because he's an elite? I can't believe he's on our side…

"Hurry up, cue ball!" said Vegeta, reaching for the bean, "Stop wasting my time!"

Kuririn threw it at him. Vegeta held up a hand and caught it easily. He smirked as he popped it in his mouth and began to chew. He swallowed and turned the other way.

"Thanks, cue ball," he mocked, then to Nijuu-gou, "All right, you wanna die next?"

Nijuu-gou frowned, but stepped forward, ready to fight. Vegeta grinned.

"So, it's the old man who's fighting? How disappointing. But then…"

He looked at Sotari.

"…It's only proper to save the best for last."

Vegeta crouched, his arms in front of him forming a small orb of energy.

"SHINEI, ANDROID!!!"

Vegeta fired the ball of energy directly at Nijuu-gou, who reacted in the most cowardly and sensible way---he ran away. As the orb sailed by Sotari, she reached out and grabbed it. She looked at it for a moment, feeling its power and heat radiate from the center. She looked at Vegeta, a blank expression riding her face. Then, she raised her arm back. Next was the throw; a perfect pitch for any baseball pitcher, only it was a ball of energy flying at Vegeta with a tremendous amount of speed and coming fast. Suddenly snapping out of his reverie, Vegeta came back to reality and fired back a single ki blast to destroy the other one. The two balls collided, sending a wave of exploding energy and plasma through the air. Sotari seemed to vanish in the clouds of dust.

"Damn, where the hell is she?" said Vegeta furiously looking around as the silt and dust began to settle, "And where's her coward of an Oji-san!?"

Kuririn pointed in the direction where Gero had gone.

"Let's go that way," he suggested, but everyone was already running/flying past him, knocking poor cue ball head over heels.

~

Nijuu-gou was running for all he was worth. It seemed that his plan had backfired slightly, but not so much that he couldn't resort to… Jumping over a boulder with ease, he wondered where his niece had gone.

"Stupid mei," he mutter to himself while sailing over a gorge, "If you had told me what we were up against I wouldn't have to run like this."

He paused to look behind him. Nothing but the clouds of dust he had raised was there. He grimaced a little. No, he wasn't that desperate yet. However, before he could ponder further about this problem, a flash of green had streaked from the corner of his eye. Nijuu-gou turned to see who it was, but Piccolo had already given Gero a sharp punch to the chin, snapping Gero's head to the side. Piccolo then delivered a painful kick to the sternum, sending Nijuu-gou crashing into the mountainside, and raising clouds of dust and loosening rocks in the air. Nijuu-gou coughed and sputtered as he struggled to get out of the hole, for the silt seemed to have gotten into his system. As the clouds cleared, he glared at his attacker.

"What a nice move, Piccolo," he remarked sarcastically, "But according to my information…"

"Shut up, old man," interrupted Piccolo quietly, "Your information about us is useless; There's months of differences in our powers and you, a blinded fool, still rely on that useless brain of yours."

Angered at this insult, Nijuu-gou growled at him, and his anger was only increased when he spotted the other Z Senshi in the backround.

"Damn you, Piccolo," Nijuu-gou spat at him.

Piccolo smirked at he set a fight stance.

"What good do words do you, old man," he said, "When you have time to talk, you have time to act."

Nijuu-gou didn't answer this, but flew at Piccolo, his fist drawn back behind his head, intending it for a blow to Piccolo's face. However, impact was all air as Piccolo coolly sidestepped and fired a Split Finger Beam. The beam hit Nijuu-gou in the side and sent him flying into another cliff.

"I see you're making a grave for yourself in the mountainside," commented Piccolo, smiling mockingly, "how cute."

"You shut your trap," growled Nijuu-gou, "Once I get my hands on you…"

"Better act fast, old man," said Piccolo as he rushed forward.

Nijuu-gou's eyes widened, but a blur appeared in front of him. His eyes widened at the familiarity of blonde hair.

"Mei!?"

Sotari didn't answer him as she splayed her hands in front of her. Purple sparkles, almost bolts of electricity, seemed to materialize in the air and condense on the tips of her fingers, running in little streams down her fingers and over her palms. The streams almost looked like the tears as they gathered into one large, purple ball of energy that looked a dark sun. As the ball grew bigger than a size of large basketball, a fat purple beam shot out, heading straight at Piccolo.

"Kogasu Fokushuu (Burning Revenge)!!!"

Seeing this, Piccolo put two fingers to his forehead, similar colored gold electricity sparkling and crackling his fingertips. Taking careful aim, he fired the spiral beam.

"Makkensukenpo (Special Beam Cannon)!!!"

The beams crashed into each other, the pressure sending more dust and silt flying through the air, forcing the other Z Senshi to withdraw to the shelters of large rocks and sparse trees. Heat sliced and whipped through the air like a hide-and-seek wind, rippling like ribbon and making everyone sweat. The cool of the morning was gone. Seeing his chance, Nijuu-gou got up and jumped, letting himself fall down to the rocks below. Landing with tap, he leapt in the air again to land on another rock like a frog. It wasn't until he jumped too high to get on a cliff that somebody noticed he was escaping.

"Hey!! He's getting away!!" yelled Gohan, pointing a finger at the quickly vanishing figure.

"Not yet he isn't!!" yelled Tienshinhan, jumping to his feet and flying after him.

"Damn her!" cursed Kuririn, looking towards Sotari, "Why does she keep doing that!?"

"Quit fooling around and come on!!" shouted Tien looking over his shoulder, 

"Piccolo! You keep her busy!"

Piccolo only pumped more energy into his corkscrew beam.

"Sure."

Nijuu-gou looked over his shoulder and smirked. He couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of pride in his niece at that moment. Smirking, he urged his legs to go faster still, on their way to his lab. The information of how to get there was still stored in his brain.

"Juuanna-gou… Juuhachi-gou…"

He came to an abrupt halt in front of a reinforced steel door. Grinning, he found the rusty, but functional control panel and punched in the code. A pause, then a little beep, as the chrome-colored doors slid open. His smile widening, Nijuu-gou dashed inside and skimmed the room for his trusty "little black box." Upon finding it, he held it up in the air, the gleam in his eyes brightening as a doomed mirai was recounting…

~

Trunks climbed out of his time machine and turned around.

"C'mon, let's go!" he called to the others, "It's already started!"

A man with light brown hair jumped out. He didn't say anything as he landed on the ground beside Trunks, but merely nodded. The one who came after him, however, was more talkative.

"Ready when you are, Trunks," said another man with red hair, climbing out a little slower than the other two.

He leapt to the air and flew ahead of them. Trunks' smile disappeared, and he went after him, followed by the other man.

__

I hope we're not too late…

The trio flew for a bit, then the first one suddenly called out: "Hey, Trunks! Check this out!"

He took a sharp turn downwards, as did the others, though they held a little back while the redhead examined what was on the ground. The redhead landed and motioned to the ones hovering in the air.

"Look!"

He pointed to a round object. Trunks nearly gasped, but his breath stuck in his throat. The other swallowed hard, but made no comment. They knew what it meant. Seeing their reactions, the redhead picked up the android head.

"This isn't either of the androids!" he shouted to them, then to Trunks, "What do we do now?"

Trunks thought for a moment.

"We have to find the others…"

The other nodded. Trunks took off, leading the way this time, and the others followed suit. After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped. Trunks looked down, his fears surfacing once more.

"Down there!" he said to the other two, "They're by Gero's lab..."

Trunks felt the rush of the wind whistling past his ears. He couldn't remember flying so fast. The others were left behind in his wind. The warrior put another spurt of speed, the urgency of his mission becoming even sharper in his mind. His mother's words, echoing in the far-off distance in his head...

__

"Trunks, if you fail this, all of Earth might as well die in an instant rather than suffer the twenty years of our time..."

He clenched his teeth and his fists, already preparing an energy blast.

"I will not fail you, Kaa-san (mother)...I won't let the Earth down...I won't let Father die..."

~

Sotari and Piccolo were relentless, pounding mercilessly at the other with every opportunity. Their skills were impeccable and equal. If only Sotari never had an eternal energy reactor. Being given such a beating, Piccolo was beginning to feel the effects. Sotari saw an opportunity and elbowed his sternum. He grunted.

"That…" he said, blocking another punch, "Was good…"

"I've always been good," she said coldly, aiming a kick at his head, "Don't try and flatter me."

"I wasn't trying to."

He swung and missed. She went low and kneed his stomach. Another grunt from Piccolo and he punched back. Sotari flew back and Piccolo fired another energy blast. It caught her off guard, sending her crashing into a side of a mountain. She finally countered with a blast of her own. The two beams collided for a second then evaporating again as each cancelled their attacks to charge at each other again. After a few more exchanges, the two leapt back and landed on a cliff. Piccolo, on the higher cliff, looked down on Sotari, his arms crossed. She glared back at him, her eyes full of fire, yet with touches of regret.

"You are fighting me," said Sotari, "Yet you were never truly my enemy."

Piccolo shook his head.

"We were enemies from the very start…"

"What?"

"You said so yourself. Remember, three years ago, back on the Lookout…You said you wanted---no, needed---to kill me…And you didn't. Why should you keep your promise now when you've been delaying it all this time?"

Sotari was silent for a moment.

"We worked so much…" she offered lamely, "I thought…"

"Well," he cut in with a sudden, fearsome voice, "You thought wrong."

Her eyes widened in shock. How could he say that? An eyebrow raised at such a manner the message was delivered. Piccolo continued.

"You were built to destroy me. You were told to conquer the Earth. You said you loved me, but you chose your mission over me. You betrayed your friends…you betrayed your children…You betrayed me. The only thing I see in you now is a murderer… I could never love you anymore. Heh, I don't think I ever truly did, and I don't think you were genuine either… You were just playing, weren't you? For your master, no doubt… It could almost make me laugh to think what a fool I was to think anything between us could be real…"

She looked down at the ground. A wave of uneasiness swept over her. It seemed as though she was meeting Piccolo for the first time all over again. Totally unsure of what to do or say except stand there and think of herself as an utter fool. The memories of the past three years seemed to evaporate in the air, like the love they had seemed to hold so preciously for so long. Somewhere in the depths of her system, a spark ignited a feeling. A feeling of hate and resentment towards this…Namekian. He was supposed to be her lover, her confidence…Her everything. He told her that she was something to him, but everything they shared was now a lie?

"Just…playing…?"

Tears stung her eyes, but Sotari quickly wiped them away. Why was he doing this to her? True she had been a creation of Gero's, but that wasn't her choice. Her mission wasn't a choice. The only thing she had control over was her love for Piccolo…but that was gone. Gone like her freedom, gone like her parents… She was nothing and had nothing anymore.

"But then… I never had anything to begin with…"

The tears became steady, but Sotari didn't care. Her head hung limp, letting them slide off her face and to the ground.

"…I _am_ nothing…"

She jerked her head up again, the anger in her eyes rekindled with newborn hate. This fight meant something new now…

__

The murderous traitor… You betray, too, Piccolo-san… You betray our love for something you don't understand…

You hate me, don't you…

The hot anger suddenly began surging through her veins and writhing in her chest as she looked at him again, quietly building for an attack. Her hurt was now her hate, the emotion swelling and threatening to explode like a balloon. Her eyes narrowed as she took up a fighting stance and silently her ki flared up. Piccolo did the same, his face expressionless.

"I hate you, too."

~

__

While you have snoring lie, / Open-eyed conspiracy / His time doth takes. / If of life you keep a care, / Shake off slumber and beware. / Awake, awake!

Juuhachi-gou's eyes snapped open. She blinked once, twice, taking in the musty air. Gero's face swam some distance from her, smiling broadly. Her memory finally kicked in, making up for the first confused seconds of her waking. Juuhachi-gou put her hands on the sides of her coffin-like keep and pulled herself out. She had no need to stretch or yawn; she was ready. There came to mind a single word.

__

*Goku...*

"Juuhachi-gou," said Gero, "You are awake at last..."

He turned to her twin in the next coffin and pressed on the button again. Juuanna-gou's eyes flickered open. Likewise, he pulled himself out.

"So, old man," said Juuanna-gou casually, stretching, "You've finally got around to waking us."

"That's because it's time," said Gero, pointing to the door, "I've got some guests I'd like you to take care of."

"Who are they?"

"The Z Senshi, of course."

"Goku among them?" asked Juuhachi-gou.

"No…he's gone, but I believe he's home."

"Good. That's all what we need to know," said Juuanna-gou taking a step towards Gero.

CRASH!!

The door flew towards Juuanna-gou, who swept it aside, sending it clattering to the floor. He wasn't fazed, even as the dust cleared to reveal the six Z Senshi. Gero's eyes widened.

"How did you…" he sputtered, but then turned to Juuanna-gou and Juuhachi-gou, "Destroy them!"

Neither moved.

"Did you not hear me!?" shouted Gero, pointing at the Z Senshi, "I said destroy them!"

"We honestly don't give any crap, old man," said Juuanna-gou, taking a step closer, "You've lived too long."

Gero's eyes widened like they would pop. Even more so when Juuanna-gou suddenly snatched the black box out of his hand.

"What are you doing!? I am your master!"

Juuanna-gou only smiled at him. With one hand, he smashed the box, letting the parts tumble to the floor.

"NO!!" screamed Gero, "I have no control over…"

"That's the point," interrupted Juuanna-gou, "There's no putting us to sleep anymore."

At that, Juuanna-gou kicked Gero in the sternum. He kicked so hard that the shape of his foot could be seen in Gero's back. Gero faltered, having the breath knocked out of him. Juuanna-gou's foot broke through. His creator's face froze. With one fluid motion, his creation destroyed him, sending Gero's machine parts flying. The Z Senshi were near struck dumb.

"Our last hope…" said Kuririn, "The jinounzingen are free…"

"NOOO!!!!!" screamed someone behind him.

A golden blast shot through the air, scattering the Z Senshi in different directions. The beam headed for the twins, both waiting for it. It missed them, and instead hit the machinery behind them. It sparked, then began to explode. The Z Senshi escaped the later explosions, which destroyed the whole lab. The twins weren't caught in it, for they were clearly seen flying away in the opposite direction. Vegeta was furious.

"BOY!!!!!" he screamed at the one who shot the blast, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!!!!!"

Trunks was truly ashamed of his actions.

"I didn't think they'd wake up so soon…" he meekly offered, "That was my best shot…"

"WELL, YOUR BEST DOESN'T COUNT!!!!! NOW WE HAVE TO GO FIND THE DAMN THINGS!!!!"

Vegeta flared up Super Saiyajin and flew off before anyone else could say anything.

"Father, WAIT!!" shouted Trunks, flying after him, "You don't know what those things will do!!"

Trunks pulled ahead of him and stood in his way.

"You can't die now!"

"Out of my way, boy!" ordered Vegeta, his eyes narrowing, "I don't take orders from a thick-headed fool!"

"But…"

Vegeta gave him a punch to the stomach before he could finish. Trunks recovered quickly, but Vegeta was already ahead of him. The lavender-haired Saiyajin only followed him. The others still stood on the ground, having watched the whole exchange, finally recognized who the stranger was.

"Hey, wasn't that one of the kids from the future?" said Tien, scratching his head.

"What about the other two?" said Yamcha, "The other guy and that girl?"

"They stayed behind," said a voice behind them, "To protect Bulma and Chi Chi from the androids."

Everyone looked up the cliff to see a brown-haired man talking to them. He was tall, wearing a yellow jacket and red pants plus a pair of goggles on his head. He flew down towards the group, followed by a redheaded man. The redhead was in a green jacket, pants, and white shirt. Instead of goggles, he had a pair of blue sunglasses. His eyes were lively and bright, with a mischievous spark to them, while his taller comrade's eyes were gentle and sensitive, with a more serene look to them. 

"Who are you?" asked Gohan.

"It doesn't matter!" said the man with the brown hair, "Let's go after them!"

"What?" said Chiatzu, then suspiciously, "Can we trust you?"

"For now," said the red-haired man, "Let's just split up and fight. We'll explain things later."

"What about Piccolo?" said Gohan, "He probably needs help!"

"I'll go with Gohan," Yamcha said and started flying the other way.

"Where ever Tien goes, I go," said Chiatzu.

"I'm going with him," said Tien, flying after the red-haired man.

"I guess I'll go with Gohan and Yamcha," said Kuririn.

"Right," said brown-haired man, "We all try and meet back at…"

"Capsule Corp!" suggested Yamcha.

Everyone briefly nodded in agreement, and took off.

~

"Onae-san (big sister)," said Juuanna-gou looking over his shoulder, "It looks like one of them is following us."

"So?" said Juuhachi-gou, "We can keep flying."

"It would be fun to play a bit," said Juuanna-gou, "I'm bored."

"We have to look for Goku."

"We can do that later. C'mon, Nae-san, can we stop a bit? It's so tempting..."

Juuhachi-gou thought for a moment.

"All right."

The two stopped just over a highway and flew down. Vegeta and Trunks followed suit. The older Saiyajin was obviously pleased at this.

"So you finally decided to fight?" he asked, smirking, "No doubt because you realized you couldn't outrun a Super Saiyajin."

"We just found you annoying, that's all," said Juuhachi-gou evenly.

She stepped forward. No words were needed. It was obvious she wanted to fight him. Vegeta smirked.

"Fine," he said, "One tin girl won't matter much."

"You think so?" said Juuanna-gou, smirking, "Just wait, Saiyajin."

It was apparent after a few minutes that Juuhachi-gou was indeed more than what she seemed. She kicked Vegeta's ass, basically, and he went down in only ten minutes. It was Trunks' turn to fight now. Flaming furious, he flared up Super Saiyajin and flew at Juuanna-gou. The two fought, exchanging punches and kicks too fast for the human eye. Juuhachi-gou watched them a while, extremely impatient.

"C'mon, let's go!" she told Juuanna-gou, "That Saiyajin was so troublesome… He messed up my clothes."

Juuanna-gou gave a sharp punch to Trunks' chin. Trunks flew back a bit and ran into Juuhachi-gou. The two ran into the guardrail and tumbled down the mountainside. Juuanna-gou watched with interest as they rolled until the bottom. Trunks had ended up on top of an enraged Juuhachi-gou.

"GET OFF ME, YOU ASS!!" she yelled at him.

Trunks obeyed, but only ended up with a beating from Juuhachi-gou. By then, the others had arrived, providing but more entertainment for Juuanna-gou. In the first five minutes of their beating, Juuanna-gou kicked Chiatzu out first, kneed Tien, but had slightly more trouble with Basu and Pen. The brotherly duo ended up going Super Saiyajin.

"Onae-san!" called Juuanna-gou, barely missing another punch from Basu.

"In a minute," replied Juuhachi-gou, then to Trunks, "You're good…for an ass, that is."

"Thanks a lot," said Trunks sarcastically.

~

It was now that Piccolo was finally beginning to feel tired. Not very, but he felt like a break. Especially after what he told Sotari, she was harder at him than ever.

"Kin'iro no kama (Golden Scythe)!"

The gold rings neatly missed Piccolo's face...almost. Piccolo's hand immediately went to his face, discovering the purple blood flowing freely from two long cuts near his eye. His eyes shifted to the blonde hovering some ten feet in front of him. He couldn't help but shiver slightly. Her face was a mixture of pain and hate, but it was the scythe that caught Piccolo...he had seen her do many things with it...All of them ended with blood. 

Sotari took charge of his distraction and punched him. He faltered, she smirked, and she tossed her scythe in the air. Then she bombarded Piccolo with the fullest fury of punches and kicks, where it led to smashing him into mountains and finally pounding him in the ground. As he lay in the dirt, severely bleeding, broken, and bruised, she still went at him, even clawing him sometimes like a wild animal. No telling what was going through Piccolo's mind...perhaps he thought he deserved it. His mate didn't seem to care. 

Finally, after what dragged to be hours, Sotari stopped. She didn't get off him, though. Just...stopped. The half-Saiyajin was on her hands and knees, breathing heavily while the Namekian, practically embedded in the crater his body had made, still beneath her. He started to move, but Sotari noticed him. She was immediately back on guard, splaying her hand in front of his face. A bit of sunlight caught on the blade of the scythe as she caught in her other hand. She held it over him, the blade close to his throat.

__

You're going to kill me this way? Piccolo thought to her telepathically, then suddenly realizing the irony of the situation, _Oh, I see…this is the way you killed the demon sensei, wasn't it…_

"It doesn't matter," she said coldly, "I gave you a chance for us to stop fighting! I gave you a chance!"

There were fiery sparks flying from her eyes, burning their hatred into him.

"Look at you! You've let yourself become a weakling!" she continued, then blurted: "You almost had it, but you lost it in the end…Like always!"

Piccolo forced his eyes open. It nearly shocked him at how cold Sotari's face was, despite the pink blushes on her cheeks. It couldn't be her! There was a bitter, sandy taste in his mouth as he tried to talk.

"You aren't Sotari..." he sputtered at last.

"Like you'd care," she replied; her voice was suddenly flat.

At that, she grabbed his neck. A jerk of the hand...the sound of a crack. Sotari let go of him. His eyes didn't close, but it was easy to tell...She turned the other way, her back to the past, her pain, her Piccolo. That's all it took.

__

I told you to wait for me…And you didn't listen…

~

Gohan's eyes widened. He sped up, leaving the others behind in his dust.

"Sensei!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

He saw Piccolo lying in the crater below, Sotari walking away from him. Gohan could only imagine the worst.

"PICCOLO!!"

The boy flew to the ground and ran to Piccolo's body. He collapsed on his knees, astonished. His eyes immediately took in the damage Sotari had done and his fingers went to Piccolo's neck. No pulse. Gohan could feel himself starting to shake as he, as gently as he could, felt the back of the neck…he could feel the broken bone jutting out beneath the skin… The Saiyajin erupted, throwing his hands in the air, his head jerked back, and streams of tears from his eyes dripping onto Piccolo's still face.

"NNNNOOOOOOOO!!!! PICCOLOOO!!!"

His ki flared up, hot-white energy flowing into the shape of an orb. Gohan held it for a few seconds, then let it go. A pounding had started in his chest, a growing, swelling, sudden hate for his sensei's murderer… Kuririn and Yamcha stood silently behind him, taking it in. They bowed their heads slightly in respect to Gohan's pain and to a great hero. Sotari paused, sensing the sorrow in Gohan's cries. She could feel his hate for her…could feel the spark ignite within him that held his potential for Super Saiyajin.

"You," said Gohan slowly to Sotari, his teeth gritted, "You…you murderer…"

Sotari said nothing. Only felt her fist tighten…

"How…how could you…" Gohan's voice continued.

She could hear his tear droplets falling to the ground. Silently, Sotari counted to herself: _1…2…3._

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Gohan's wrath unveiled, attacking Sotari. She simply avoided every move he made. Right now, let Gohan was moving too fast for her to reveal any openings…not that Gohan intended there'd be any. He let his fury take control of his body, throwing kicks and punches with raw control. All real sense was gone, and instinct reborn with furious power. Gohan could feel himself coming closer…closer…his chest was swelling, his power soaring… Kuririn's eyes widened at the ki he sensed coming from Gohan.

"Could he be getting to Super Saiyajin?"

The sky seemed to darken now. Clouds gathered in clumps, their puffy white changing into a dark, dangerous blue. A flash ignited the heavens, and the sun hid its face from the world. Gohan's power grew more visible. He could feel the rawness of his hidden powers curse within his veins. His muscles were beginning to bulk, his pulse quickening to a hum, and the changes in his eyes and hair were more apparent.

If he could just reach it…

~


	12. RD: This is a Test

Notes: …An attempt to create a dark mood for the first scene…by the use of poetry.

~

__

Her past is stained with crimson, her freedom holding none; Her name is nonexistent, her actions nothing meant; The nightmare in these dreams, the angel that she seemed; Once noble in her time, enslaved in selfish crime; She became the huntress, murder she now caress…

Piccolo snapped his eyes open, aware of her fingers around his neck. His first instinct was to charge a ki blast at her, but he couldn't move his arm. He looked to see the bone jutting out, blood spurting from his wounds. The pain made him wince.

__

Sotari…

For a moment, he welcomed death. The pain, both internal and external, was too much for him.

__

Soft as the morning light, yet vicious as a frigid night; Dashing these warm hearts, on frozen stones they do part; Sea of thousand her hands do shine, Damned to kill for all this time

So why not die?

His eyes closed, bracing for death. The rest of his body seemed to relax a moment, slowly preparing for its last moments. Perhaps Death wouldn't be so cruel…it would be quick.

**__**

*Tou-san!*

Piccolo raised his eyebrow ridges, but did not open his eyes. He thought he heard someone, calling to him…

__

"Are you coming home, Tou-san?"

A scene flickered before his eyes. The place was in a living room somewhere, in a building of some sort… The name _Capsule Corp._ popped into Piccolo's mind. He saw people gathering together, but their faces where blurred and voices rang like echoes. Their movement seemed slow and unsteady, like in a different time. 

A small boy ran into the room, waving a toy. He seemed to the only one in 'real' time, weaving in and out the group of people. The boy finally collapsed onto a couch next to a girl younger than him. She laughed and motioned to the toy, which the boy gave to her. He smiled as he watched her play with it. Their matching pink eyes and brown hair mirrored someone in the crowd behind them…

__

A mystery long untold, hidden in a silken fold; Years buried in her eyes, the innocents do cry; Forced lonely in these hard times, the death-toll bells do chime

Someone had swiveled around, long shiny hair flying like a falling rainbow. Pink eyes watched the children at play, smiling gently. Her warm smile seemed to tear at Piccolo. A hot, wet feeling swelled in Piccolo's eyes, though hardly blurring the vision. He could feel the feeling spill like rivers down his dusty cheeks as he saw what he'd never see again… 

__

Eyes wet with bloody tears, on the angel smears; A lone wolf strikes night severe, nothing to hold away the fears; Their cries do shake the night, I must be strong and fight…

A tall, handsome figure appeared behind the pink-eyed woman in the dream, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

__

(Who are you?)

The taller figure whispered something witty in her ear, making her laugh. Her voice echoed like bells, the shadows of the people behind them seemed ripple from the sound. He laughed, too, his throaty voice catching the ears of the younger ones on the couch. Their small voices pierced the air curiously as they turned around to look at the two figures: _"Tou-san…Kaa-san…Wait for us!"_

(Piccolo…Sotari…Damned in their birth, in their marriage damned, and in the blood they shed in their own hands!)

Their surroundings seemed to fall apart and melt, like wet paint on canvas. The people's voices died away along with the furniture, giving in to an inky, eating blackness. Eventually, even the smiling couple, still laughing, faded away with the colors, and the children…Their pink eyes still shimmering with happiness, their little voices still repeating those words…_"Tou-san…Kaa-san…Wait for us!"_ Till the invading blackness ate them, too…

__

(Who do you love?)

Piccolo thought he heard something snap, but he didn't feel it…He wasn't part of his body anymore. His soul had given up before he was actually dead. He felt himself become airy and cloud-like, and watched himself rise from his body, no longer concerned for the battered body and its murderess below. The 'cloud', however, felt a pang of guilt as it saw a lone boy with black hair and black eyes crying to the heavens…

__

Wait for me…

(A prince? A demon? Who do you love?)

"Sensei…" sniffled Gohan, wiping his eyes, "Sensei…"

__

I love a demon…my Piccolo…

~

Gohan felt himself break. All at once, his power erupted, sending sparks lightning power in random directions, and wherever a spark landed came small explosions till the ground was a field of craters. His hair became gold, his eyes the blue-green, and his muscles were like steel. He seemed to look taller now, and angrier than before. With a cry of fury, he charged once more at Sotari. She, watching him all the time, was caught slightly off-guard. Her price for her lack of attention was a neat clip to her jaw, which nearly dislocated it. However, the pain didn't matter much as she was forced to defend herself against a raging Super Saiyajin named Gohan.

Sometimes, she'd get in a few punches, but Gohan didn't look fazed. Instead, he'd react with even harder kicks and punches, and sometimes throwing in a few ki blasts. Sotari could do only so much from getting her ass kicked. It wasn't that she couldn't take on Gohan head-on, but that he was getting out of control. His concentration and control had been tossed aside for mean power and speed.

Gohan sent an enormous Kamehameha at her, sending her crashing to the ground, not far from where Yamcha and Kuririn were. They flew over closer, but not so close when Gohan flew to the ground and hovered over the crater Sotari had made. He saw her small form somewhere near the bottom, and he began charging up another blast. As it grew, his eyes narrowed. 

Something had changed…he could feel something within suddenly turn weak. Like someone had pressed the 'off' button on his power. Gohan could feel his arms grow numb and heavy, like lead weights. His legs seemed to turn to water, and his vision seemed to blur, while his eyes grew droopy. It also affected his stomach, which felt like he had swallowed a boulder. Gohan winced.

"Not now…Not when I'm this close…"

He stopped charging his attack and groaned. It was useless. Gohan could feel the power draining from him, everything turning to normal. He could even feel his hair and his eyes change back. His body started to ache horribly, like he had exercised too much, and even more pain shot from his stomach, sending Gohan into pure agony. He could feel himself start to falter in his hovering, but he wouldn't let himself.

"Damn…What…"

Gohan groaned again. He could feel himself getting drowsier and getting sicker by the second. His eyelids threatened to close, sending him into a dreamless, heavy sleep.

"I can't…Piccolo…"

Kuririn shouted from below: "Gohan!! What's the matter!? You all right!?"

Only a groan answered Kuririn. He started to fly upwards to help him…

"GOHAN!!"

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as a HUGE beam of ki charged and swallowed up Gohan before his very eyes. Fat, purple, and crackling, the beam didn't falter nor slow its power until it was well into the sky. As it finally dissipated, Kuririn could only stare at Gohan's condition. Gohan had taken the blast head-on, only protecting himself with his arms covering his head. Not only was his clothing torn to shreds, but some of his skin as well. The smell of singed flesh even reached Yamcha's nose, which made his eyes water slightly. Kuririn shivered slightly at the sight of the raw skin. 

Gohan lowered his arms, slowly, painfully, and cautiously. He turned his head in the same manner, lest he make the blood from his face lacerations flow more freely. His look was dazed and confused, and his eyes clouded with stupefied astonishment.

"Wha…" he said incredulously, "Wha just happened…That…that…"

He looked down towards the crater, as did Kuririn and Yamcha…Not a soul stirred. Gohan's mouth fell open, but immediately snapped shut again as he felt a fist ram under his chin. The next half-second, pain ignited in his stomach again, then his sternum… Gohan was helpless to this blur that was attacking him now, but he knew Sotari would take every advantage she could get.

Kuririn was practically frozen where he hovered now. He couldn't believe was happening. One moment, Sotari was down on the ground, and now, it looked like it was just the other way around. Gohan was being blasted into a crater of his own, near Yamcha. Yamcha himself flew upwards, eager to get out of the way, and halted near Kuririn.

"What do we do!?" he shouted at Kuririn, "What do we do!?"

His friend was silent. Yamcha was desperate, and was about to grab Kuririn to shake some sense into him when Kuririn finally said something: 

"Get help."

Yamcha was quick to that command as he put on his full speed towards the direction of the androids and the others. After he left, Kuririn resumed watching Sotari and Gohan. He himself wished that he had left with Yamcha, but he knew better than to leave Gohan alone by himself. Though he was no match against Sotari, he wanted to help. Kuririn bit his lip. The two were down on the ground now, and Sotari's back was to him. Gohan was facing him and far away, but Kuririn knew what was on his mind. 

The bald monk breathed in a deep breath and raised his hands in the air. He had already started to clear the cloud in his mind to concentrate. The yellow-gold energy formed in his hands, and started to spin in a rapid circle. He'd had to be careful with this one…no telling what would happen.

~

Gohan glared at Sotari, though it hurt his face. Here he was, lying on the ground, weak, defenseless, and ready to die. Sotari didn't smirk, nor laugh at his condition, but just looked at him. She was more than ready to kill Gohan. Her hands were splayed, an energy ball already forming in her hands. The purple-black ki that surrounded her flared slightly and her eyes were flashing white. When Gohan saw this, he tried to move, but the warm gushes he felt stopped him…and her tail. He felt its pointed end against his arm, poking at him. Gohan moved his arm, not daring to risk being punctured by it; he had enough injuries as is.

He didn't take his eyes off her tail, though. Before today, it had been the soft, muscular, silky kind of the Saiyajin race. This lizard-type looked leathery and tough at a glance, and also strange with the black spotted pattern. The pointed thing at the end was especially peculiar. Sotari saw him looking at her tail. It went from near Gohan's arm to her side. Her flame-like ki drew back a little and her eyes stopping flashing.

"You know what this thing does, don't you?" she asked him.

The other shook his head. She nodded, and the tail shot into Gohan's arm. The siphon pierced his skin like a hypodermic, but it stung worse than one. Gohan winced as he felt a contraction movement from the tail. His eyes widened like plates as he saw what was happening. He could even feel the inside of his arms being sucked into her tail. Disgusted and horrified, he quickly pulled his arms away from it and held his hand over the wound. It bled a little, and Gohan scowled at Sotari again. The tip of her tail dripped blood, and it twitched a little, as if it wanted more blood. 

Sotari looked at her tail and then at Gohan. 

"I don't suppose you want to die by me absorbing you," she said simply, cradling the purple ball still in her hand.

Gohan shook his head. As much as he hated knowing that his death was going to be painful, he preferred a quick explosion rather than the slowing sucking of The Tail. Sotari moved her hands in front of her again, once again preparing to kill Gohan. The other closed his eyes and breathed, unusually calm.

A whistling sound reached his ear. Gohan cocked an eyebrow. The whistle sounded familiar…what was it? Where was it coming from? Dare he open his eyes? He felt a voice inside tell him not to. However, curious as he was, Gohan opened his eyes. Sotari was still standing in front of him still, but something was different. The purple energy ball, of course, was still in her hands, just about finished forming. But the whistling was still there. Gohan's eyes shifted towards the sound. There was something glittering in the distance…what was it? He squinted, trying to make out the thing. It seemed to be coming closer…closer. The thing seemed to be at a rapid speed, becoming bigger and bigger. But what was it? Sotari didn't seemed to notice it.

__

Maybe a glare from the sun? Gohan thought, but shrugged that idea away, _Couldn't be._

The whistling grew louder, and it finally irritated Sotari enough to look over her left shoulder. She, too, wondered what the gold-thing was, and actually stopped charging her own attack for a quick glimpse… 

In the next moment, she hardly knew what happened. She could feel herself scream as pain shot up her arms and tail. Her eyes saw blood splattering on Gohan…not his, but her own. Her eyes caught the sight of flesh landing in bloody grass. She could feel the rest of herself fall hard on her butt in the grass and collapse on her back. Her arms fell on her sides…but her hands? 

Sotari held her handless arms above her, stunned. They had been sliced neatly below the elbows; even the bone didn't jut out. Her eyes widened as she watched the dark blood spurt like fountains, soaking through her clothes. The agony rippled up her arms and tail, leaving Sotari to stifle another scream. Her tail had also been severed off; just the siphon part, but just as tormenting. She winced as blood spouted from her tail, wetting the dusty dirt in the crater. Sotari let what was left of her arms fall to her sides again, letting the suffering overtake her. 

It overwhelmed her body and her brain. Voices sounded distant and forlorn, and she could only assume that they were Gohan and Kuririn's. She wanted to faint away and block out this torture, but her stubborn body wouldn't let her. Instead, she stayed awake in wide-eyed, white horror as she felt the red, warm liquid bleed away.

~

Yamcha came to a halt when he heard the scream. Paranoid, he looked over his shoulder. Nothing.

"What…?" he started to say, then shook his head, "Gotta get help…"

He started flying again, faster than before. Even though the curiosity clawed at him, he didn't turn back, afraid of what he might see. It wasn't long until he was where the androids and the others were. The sight that greeted him was neither hopeful or unfavorable. Tien and Chiatzu were helping the purple-haired man to fight Juuhachi-gou, who was trying to help Juuanna-gou, who was trying to ward off the two other strangers (both had transformed into Super Saiyajins). Yamcha flew down closer and yelled out to Tien and Chiatzu:

"Tien! Chiatzu! Gohan and Kuririn need help!"

Tien looked up and saw Yamcha, as did Chiatzu. They hesitated for a moment, but the purple-haired man nodded to them for the go-ahead.

"We'll be back at the meeting place," called out Tien as he, Yamcha, and Chiatzu took off.

Juuhachi-gou saw them fly off and smirked at Trunks.

"Your friends not brave enough?" she taunted.

"No," Trunks argued, "I don't know why or where they're going, but…"

"They're cowards," she interrupted.

"That's not true."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is…"

*POW!*

"OW!!"

Trunks fell to the ground, holding his face. Juuhachi-gou leaned forward and grabbed the back of his neck and hoisted him a little off the ground. The other started to struggle, but a firm squeeze of his neck made him stop.

"You know," said Juuhachi-gou, smiling at Trunks, "I could just break your neck right now…It'd only take a second."

He didn't say anything.

"Then you wouldn't be around to bother my brother and me. Your friends wouldn't be much, either."

Juuhachi-gou leaned closer to his face.

"You're annoying and stupid, you know that? Not to mention stubborn… But you're also cute…"

She kissed him. Then she knocked him out. As he fell, she smiled again slightly.

"Onae-san!" yelled Juuanna-gou.

Her gaze still lingered on Trunks' face.

__

Bakayarou…Wait for me…

Within a few minutes, she and Juuanna-gou had beaten the two other Saiyajins. The three unconscious strangers lay on the ground. Juuanna-gou spat near the brown-haired one.

"Stupid bakas," he muttered, raising his hand to form an energy ball, "I'll…"

Juuhachi-gou started flying again.

"C'mon," she said little gruffly, "We'd better go."

Juuanna-gou looked at her, surprised.

"Onae-san? But…"

"I need new clothes."

"Why…"

"LET'S GO."

Reluctantly, Juuanna-gou followed his sister, muttering. Once again, the twins were on their search for Son Goku.

~

Gohan held his stomach, again, and grunted. He was doing all he could to keep himself from throwing up again. Kuririn knelt beside him and dabbed Gohan's face with a wet rag he had torn from his pants leg. The two fighters were on a ledge, in a small cave. They weren't too far from where Sotari still lay in her agony. Neither wanted to help her. Kuririn's concern was Gohan, though the thought of Sotari still alive nagged him.

"Ouch!" said Gohan, wincing as the rag touched a cut on his forehead.

"Sorry," said Kuririn a little absent-mindedly.

"Yamcha back yet?" asked Gohan.

"No, I don't think so…"

Kuririn looked out of the cave again, hoping to see the familiar figure. He didn't.

"We're going to need some help," he muttered, "Sotari's still alive…"

"Can't we just kill her now?"

"That disc of mine took a lot of energy, Gohan. I barely had enough to carry you to this cave. And you…"

"But we should!" objected Gohan, "She's just lying out there. She can still kill us!"

"Not unless she either dies or finds us first."

Gohan was silent for a moment.

"Good point," he said, "And with all that bleeding she's done…"

Kuririn nodded.

"It's assured."

The two were quiet for another minute.

"Have you still got the senzous?" Gohan asked.

Kuririn raised his eyebrows. His hand went to his belt and felt the reassuring leather bag of beans.

"I forgot about these!" he exclaimed.

His hand reached into the bag for two beans. He popped one in Gohan's mouth, then his own. In less than a minute, the two were up to full power again. Though Gohan still bore his injuries, he felt well enough to fight again. He stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave, gazing at the figure lying in the crater below. She didn't seem to be moving, but Gohan could tell, even from this distance, that she was still alive. Gohan motioned to Kuririn.

"Let's go."

Kuririn suddenly blocked him.

"Kuririn?" Gohan said, puzzled, "What's…"

The other motioned him to be quiet. He pointed towards the ground. Gohan looked over Kuririn's shoulder, and whatever sight greeted his eyes made his blood run cold.

~

Sotari groaned and turned over on her side, as much as it hurt to move. It didn't matter that she caused herself to bleed more…she was going to die anyway. She had heard (and sensed) Gohan and Kuririn leave for that cave. Even at this moment, she could hear them talking, as far as they were. They wanted to kill her, no doubt, but were too weak to do it. When they finally discovered the bag of senzou, she closed her eyes. 

Now was the end…

Sotari opened her eyes. What was that? She could hear something moving, behind her. Despite all pains, Sotari struggled to sit up. More blood gushed from her arms and tail, making Sotari wince. Groaning, she fell back again.

"Why can't I just die?" she asked no one, "Can't I just leave?"

She lay there for a moment, wallowing her own pain. Her mind was so clouded that she didn't hear footsteps coming to her. It wasn't until Sotari felt arms lift her up that she realized that she wasn't alone. There was no point in struggling, though. It was probably Gohan and Kuririn, or the others, coming to end her life. She closed her eyes more tightly, prepared for the fatal blow.

"You're here, aren't you," she told them, "To kill me…"

Instead of the angry accusations, she heard someone giggle. Baffled, Sotari opened her eyes again to find her twin smiling at her. Sotari blinked. Twin!? 

No, it was a mistake… She was much younger than Sotari, sixteen at least. The girl had medium brown hair with the tips curled at the end. Her attire had a sense of roughness, with the torn up pair of tight jean capris and the small green tank top. She carried a long sword and two guns: one strapped to her thigh, the other tucked in her pants. The eyes were even different: sparkly, green, and lively, with a spark of mischief and recklessness.

__

She looked like me before…

"Hey, Sotari," giggled the girl, "Looks like you've lost something…"

Sotari scowled at her.

"Shippo," ordered a voice to the left of Sotari, "Be serious, can't you? She's lost a lot of blood."

Sotari looked to her left to see woman holding her up. She was around a little older than Sotari. There was no mistaking her for Sotari's twin either. She had long black hair that was tightly pulled back in a neat bun, secured with a decorative chopstick and by a white bandanna tied in the front. Her kimono was long and white, the length reaching down to her ankles over her sandals. There were golden bracelets that covered her wrists, inscribed with patterns. Even the sash that was tied around her waist was gold-colored, as were the edges of the sleeves. A long cape was draped around her shoulders, and a sword was strapped to her side. Her dark eyes looked kind, but also ominous and portrayed a dangerous side to her.

"Who are you?" Sotari managed to whisper.

The black-eyed woman reached to her side for a bottle. Uncapping it, she held it to Sotari's mouth and told her to drink it. When Sotari was finished, she tossed the bottle aside, then looked at Sotari with a bewildered face.

"You don't know?" she asked her, "About what you can do?"

"Obviously," replied Sotari, coldly, her voice growing stronger, "What can I do that I don't know?"

"We'd better explain things, Hidari," said someone on Sotari's right.

Sotari turned her head to see yet another girl, who was probably the one closest to looking like Sotari. In fact, she reminded Sotari of when she herself was about seventeen or eighteen. Her hair was the same brown shade Sotari's had been (before T.L.K.L.N.G. turned it blonde) and she wore the same, sad look of melancholy Sotari was so used to showing. The outfit shocked Sotari to see that she wore similar, light blue jean capris and the faded pink tube top. Was that the same hairstyle, too? Tied back and twisted up, so that the loose ends fanned out? And the two loose bangs in front? Sotari could've sworn she had been dreaming.

The woman called Hidari looked at her and nodded.

"Yes, Migino, but we'd better hurry…" she said, then to Sotari, "Listen to me, or you'll die."

"What…" began Sotari, but the girl called Migino shook her head at her.

"You are familiar with Piccolo's regeneration abilities?" asked Hidari.

"I am…somewhat."

"Just concentrate on where you lost your limbs…it'll come to you."

Sotari closed her eyes, feeling extremely stupid. Her muscles tensed, concentrating. After a few moments, she could feel the limbs begin to emerge from her arms and tail. It felt uncomfortable and strange, like this wasn't normal (which it wasn't). She didn't even know she had this ability, which made her look even more stupid. Sotari opened her eyes to see a wet mass of pale flesh forming from her arm stumps. It stretched and wiggled, which disgusted Sotari as the end of it tensed and grew fingers. The new arms stopped writhing when she felt her new arm bones grow from the ends of her old ones.

__

Does---Did---Piccolo always feel this way? She wondered.

The same happened with her tail, and Hidari nodded at Sotari in approval. She and Migino released Sotari, who stood up and examined her new hands and tail. They looked and felt like the old ones…except for maybe the wetness. However, even the wetness was gone when her new skin dried. Her head felt a little dizzy, but at least she was alive.

"Feeling better?" asked Migino.

"Yeah…" replied Sotari, still amazed and awed at her newly discovered ability, "I never knew I could do this…"

"It's pretty handy, isn't it?" chuckled Shippo.

"Now, can you tell me who…" Sotari began.

"…We are?" finished Hidari, "More than happy to…"

She glanced over her shoulder as Yamcha, Tien, and Chiatzu landed on the ground, not far from them.

"…Later…"

~

"Sotari's got more allies!?" Gohan yelled at Kuririn, "We've already got two androids and Sotari, and now those three…!"

"Gohan! Calm down!" Kuririn grabbed Gohan's shoulders, "It's all right!"

"I nearly got killed by Sotari! If I can't even beat her, what about those other three!?"

Kuririn fell silent.

"Good point…"

"We've got to warn the others!"

Gohan started past Kuririn, but stopped again at the entrance. Kuririn ran up beside him and saw as Yamcha, Tien, and Chiatzu took up their fighting stances.

"Oh no…"

"We should…" started Gohan, but Kuririn held him back.

"We can't," Kuririn protested, "We'll be killed!"

"So will they!"

"So will we!"

"We've have to do _something_, Kuririn!"

"…No, I can't."

"If you can't, then I will!"

Gohan elbowed Kuririn and flew down towards the fight.

"Gohan! No!"

Kuririn flew in front of Gohan, his arms spread out.

"You can't die now, Gohan! Yamcha, Tien, Chiatzu…they can take care of themselves!"

"What's the matter with Kuririn!? Why won't you let me!? Aren't they your friends?"

"They ARE my friends, but I promised Goku a long time ago I'd protect you…"

"I can take care of myself!"

Gohan gave Kuririn a shove and flew down towards the fight, abandoning Kuririn to his own guilty thoughts.

~

Hidari and Shippo exchanged bored expressions as they saw Yamcha, Tien, and Chiatzu take up their stances. Migino looked away, as if she couldn't bear to see the inevitable fight between them.

"Where's Kuririn and Gohan?" asked Yamcha, directing his question at Sotari.

"I don't know," lied Sotari, looking at towards the cave, "Get lost."

"Not until I see you dead, jinounzingen."

Sotari glared at him. He knew that she resented the term.

"Who are they," Tien nodded towards the three other girls, "Other cyborgs?"

"Not really," said Hidari, her hand on her sword hilt, "But we're against anyone who dares oppose her."

"We'll see how well you _girls _do against us _guys,_" said Chiatzu.

"Demented clown," taunted Shippo, "You'll wish you were a girl when we're done."

"Unless he already is," continued Hidari, smirking.

At that point, Chiatzu blew up. He charged towards Hidari first, and she reacted. Hot-white ki suddenly shot out from her, forming a shield, which her attacker bounced off with a scream. Chiatzu landed hard on the ground, and the burns the shield had done to Chiatzu's skin startled even Sotari. However, Chiatzu charged at Hidari again, who drew her sword this time, and leapt high in the air. As she started falling to Earth, sword held in front of her, Chiatzu made an energy orb and released it. Smirking, Hidari split the ball in halves. Panicked, Chiatzu made a step to run as Hidari descended upon him. A flash of light caught the sword blade as Hidari swung at Chiatzu. She leapt from him and landed in a crouching position a few feet away. He didn't move. Tien started forward, but it was too late. Chiatzu fell on the ground, his eyes frozen in their wide-eyed terror. A long, clean slash was across his face, nearly splitting it in half. The bloody hole in the back told the rest. 

His friend Tien was crushed. Gripping his fists, tears streaming from his eyes, he gritted his teeth, and glowered at Hidari with a look of pure hatred on his face.

"You bitch…"

Hidari smirked. She drew her sword again and wiped its bloody blade on the green grass.

"Your demented clown friend was no match."

"I'll make you pay for what you've done…"

Tien's muscles tensed, his anger increased as he began powering up an energy attack. Hidari watched with some interest, but continued to clean her sword. Tien fired a warning shot near her feet, which nearly singed her dress. She cast an annoyed look at him, but made no advance. It was when she turned to walk away that Tien decided to attack. With a cry, he threw the energy ball at Hidari, who disappeared in a flash. The ball flew through empty space towards the direction of Shippo. At the speed of a lightning flash, Shippo drew one of her guns and fired. Unlike the ordinary gun bullet, it pierced the center of the orb, causing it to erupt prematurely before it even reached a reasonable distance from Tien. Tien stood, thunderstruck at the extraordinary reflexes of this girl. She smiled sweetly at him as she blew the smoke rising from her gun barrel away. Then she raised the gun again, aiming it at Tien's head. With a grin, she shot once more, and the ground soon ran red with Tien's blood. Shippo put the gun back in her holster, patting it with her hand like the 'automatic sword' was a lucky charm. She waved nonchalantly towards Yamcha, the remaining fighter of the lot.

"Migino!" she called in a silly high voice, "You care…?"

"No," replied Migino quickly.

Shippo raised an eyebrow.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Migino turned half a step. Yamcha sighed with relief. Sotari looked at Yamcha then at the others. Hidari seemed to be following Migino, with a slightly more reluctant Shippo in suit. She threw a glare at Yamcha.

"We'll be back, human…"

Sotari took another step. The questions in her head were almost making her dizzy. Who were they, really? Why were they here? And why did they help her? She was so distracted that she didn't hear Gohan firing a huge Kamehameha at her head. She didn't hear Kuririn throw another disc at her. Sotari should've been dead…It was Migino who reacted first. With only the keenest hearing, she had even heard Gohan's fingers twitching as he gathered energy for the blast. It was she who had heard Kuririn clearing his mind. 

Migino whirled around and leapt forward, shoving Sotari out of the way. Sotari hit the ground hard as Migino used it as footing. She jumped high in the air, the wind rushing through her hair. Gohan didn't have time to react as she suddenly halted in front of him and smashed the side of his face with her fist, following with the other fist. Gohan's howls of pain permitted her to move onto Kuririn, who was too slow blocking a lightning-blue beam from her hand. Kuririn and Gohan fell to Earth, landing not too far from Yamcha, who, in a burst of courage, took to the air to take his chances. He fired a golden beam from his cupped hands. 

However, his chances of winning were nonexistent. Migino easily swept away the attack with a brush of her hand. Yamcha created his famous tracking disc and released it towards Migino. She ducked, the disc flew above her, but started circling back to her like a boomerang. The girl flew backwards, facing the disk and her back to Yamcha. Taking his chance, Yamcha launched a small Kamehameha from his hands. The back of her neck grew hot as the beam came nearer and flashing golden disk. Last second, she flipped up, and the two forces collided. Blinded by the flash, Yamcha covered his eyes…

They never opened.

~

Juuhachi-gou wrinkled her nose as she stepped into the dirty shop. A little bell attached to the door rang and a girl with dyed black hair and nose rings came out from the back of the store. Her skin was painted a deathly white, her lips were thin like lines and colorless and her stature was tall with a slightly plump build. She had heavy makeup on her face and her ears seemed to have disappeared altogether from the number of earrings she had. Her eyebrows her missing, too, but the girl seemed to have made up for them by exposing her navel (also pierced). The salesgirl seemed more like a prisoner with all the chains she wore and the strip of cloth that was supposed to be a shirt didn't flatter her either. She looked Juuhachi-gou up and down, as if disgusted.

"Ugh, what happened to you?" she said, chewing her gum like a demented cow, "That outfit of yours… Were you, like, in a…whatever, what do ya want, and make it quick, cause it's almost my break."

Juuhachi-gou narrowed her eyes. She was on the verge of punching this girl's face in, but she cast a careless glance on the clothing offered. Most of it was cheap, most likely to fall apart during a fight…hardly durable. The cheap, ironed-on designs and logos did not to any positive advertising, either. Juuhachi-gou had much better taste than that. If she had been a hooker, maybe, but Juuhachi-gou wasn't that type. Even she had been human that wouldn't have happened.

"I need clothes," said Juuhachi-gou simply and curtly, then added, "Non-sluttish."

The girl rolled her eyes.

"A girly-girl, huh? Don't you girlish types ever have any _fun?_"

"I wouldn't know. Just get me some clothes."

"I can't do little things like that, go get them yourself."

Juuhachi-gou tightened her fist. Her patience was running thin on this girl, and Juuanna-gou was waiting outside. She glared at the salesgirl.

__

"Fine."

~

Two minutes later, Juuhachi-gou walked out of the store wearing the most decent clothes she could find. Her new outfit was a red shirt with a v-cut, with the phrase "Devil Girl" written in purple glitter across the front, and a black picture of a cat with bat wings on the back. She kept her boots; the cheap, clunky ones in the shop wouldn't suit to fighting Goku. Somehow, she had managed to find a pair of plain jeans in the back of the store, so she wore these with her new shirt. However, she was disgusted with the cat on the back, so she wore her jean vest. Juuanna-gou looked at her new clothes with boredom.

"What took you so long?"

Juuhachi-gou scowled.

"The stupid salesgirl."

"Was she cute?"

"Why do _you _want to know? We don't have time for that! And, no, she looked like a whore."

Still scowling, Juuhachi-gou rose in the air.

"Don't expect _me_ to come back here. The store's a shithole."

Juuanna-gou followed his sister until they were a reasonable distance above the store. With a single blast, the store blew up. Flaming clothes flew in the air and landed on the ground, burning. The smell of burning skin reached the twins, but they weren't bothered. They had already begun flying again.

~

"Ugh…"

Trunks' heavy eyelids opened. They felt like they were too swollen to open. And Trunk's head felt like lead. He groaned again as he tried to sit up. His body felt sore all over. That android---pretty as she was---had kicked his ass pretty hard. Trunks looked around. There was his father, not lying far from him. The man forced himself to crawl over to father to check for breathing. Yes, there was. His son couldn't help but smile a little. Even in unconsciousness, Vegeta still wore his famous scowl.

"Trunks…" a whisper reached Trunks' ear.

The Saiyajin looked to see one of his friends sit up, holding his head.

"What happened?" he groaned, "My head hurts like shit…"

"The androids are gone, it seems," replied Trunks, looking around, "They beat the crap out of us."

"Hmph."

The brown-haired man turned to his side and shook the other man's shoulder.

"Wake up, man, it's over."

With a groan, the fellow stirred. In a couple minutes, everyone was awake, save for Vegeta. The red-haired man looked at the sleeping Vegeta.

"Is it safe to wake him?"

Trunks shook his head.

"I wouldn't count on it."

The brown-haired man's eyes looked towards the direction of the androids.

"You think we should…"

"I wish," interrupted Trunks, a mental picture of Juuhachi-gou flashing in his mind, "But I think that we need some help…"

The redhead nodded in agreement. The other looked at Vegeta, then at Trunks, and nodded. After a few minutes, the three men managed to stand up. The brunette and the redhead carried Vegeta, with Trunks leading the way as the foursome slowly made their way to Capsule Corp.

~

Sotari stepped into the hot tub, not bothered by the intense heat of the water. She continued down the stone steps, and finally sat down on a seat, trying to relax a little. The smell of dried blood was disappearing, and finally was gone from the air altogether as Sotari began to wash. At first, her movements were slow, as the memories of the past hour were processed in her head. It wasn't until a knock on the door outside that made Sotari quicken her pace. Some time later, she drained the tub and walked outside with a towel wrapped around her. She didn't bother with her old clothes, which were bloodstained and still reeked of death.

The location of the house was near a large, beautiful lake that sparkled in the sunlight. A cold stream from the mountains filled the lake, which led to a river that snaked to the ocean. Surrounding the house and the lake was a widespread forest. The house, itself, was a decent size, painted in white with black and blue roof, shutters, etc. It had been built in a closely traditional manner, with sliding doors leading the outside and all sorts.

Sotari walked down the short hallway connecting the bathhouse to the rest of the house. She eventually reached the regular bathroom, and turned opened a door on her right. This opened up to the kitchen, and Sotari went left to the living room. Not bothering with the stairs, Sotari simply rose up towards the rafters and onto the balcony-like hallway overlooking the living room. The towel-clad Saiyajin hovered outside a door and went in. 

This used to be Piccolo and Sotari's room. It was comfy, but not overly decorative. Hidari was sitting on the king-sized bed crossed-legged, her now clean sword beside her, and examining an exquisite jade scepter that Piccolo had given Sotari for a wedding present. Sotari couldn't help but wince a little at the sight of it. However, she did nothing to take it away from Hidari either. Instead, she looked over at what Shippo was doing. Shippo was sprawled on a red armless couch, apparently dozing. She still had a gun tucked in her pants, but her other weapons, the sword and the other gun, were under the couch. Migino was over by the window, looking outside with mournful eyes. There was no telling what was on her mind. Sotari sat on the bed, catching Hidari's notice.

"Well," she said, sniffing the air, "You certainly smell better."

Sotari gave her a small scowl, as was her old habit, and stood up again to go to the chest of drawers. Shippo opened an eye and smiled.

"We made quick work of those Z Senshi, didn't we?" she said.

Hidari nodded, a smile curling around her red lips.

"It was fun…I can't wait to rid of the rest."

"Especially Goku," Shippo added.

Shippo stretched out and yawned. By now, Sotari had selected a new outfit: a stretchy, long-sleeved shirt in the color navy blue and sleek black pants. Hidari shook her head.

"That outfit doesn't suit you," she said, "Your eyes don't match."

"I don't care," snapped Sotari, suddenly angry, "And anyway, who are you?"

She suddenly took off her shirt and started rummaging around for a different one. Hidari smirked.

"Now that we have time," she said, "We'll be more than happy to…" 

"When Gero created you, he wanted to exploit your powers to their fullest potential. Not only did he give you the power to regenerate, but also many other things. Some of those powers you'll probably never use, but when he started thinking about adding regeneration, Gero thought it wouldn't be practical to just _leave_ lost limbs. So he created _us._ Whatever limbs you lose, Sotari, even if it's as small as a fingertip, that lost part of you will grow into another you. That you will have the same qualities and powers as you yourself possess, but in a different form…forms that you could've been or will be."

"Myself, I was formed from your left hand. I am your mature, older side of yourself. Shippo is young, playful, and reckless, the person you could've been. She was formed from your tail. And Migino…she being the most like you, is your shadow. Being that you are right-handed, and that she came from your right hand, she is probably the most powerful of all of us. You've only lost three parts of you, Sotari, but whatever else you lose…"

Hidari paused.

"…Will become you."

Sotari was quiet for a moment, taking it in. A little shocked, she was, but not too surprised. She was usually awake during the painful procedures Gero put her through to make her this way. Who knew what chemicals he had injected in her... The mutated Saiyajin looked at her new hands. What other forms of Sotari were there? Were they _really_ her? She looked at Migino. For a moment, Sotari also wondered if any of them were an exact copy of herself or copied each other. Or was it just these three? Sotari didn't feel much like slicing her arm off again to find out. Hidari, watching her, held out her left arm in front of her.

"Take a look," she said.

Curious, Sotari pulled back the sleeve. Any disbelief she might've had before was gone as Sotari inspected the woman's arm. Her hand was slightly tanner than the rest of her, whereas the rest of her was paler. Since hands don't naturally tan, Sotari knew she was telling the truth, especially when the "tan line" was were her left hand had been cut. In turn, she checked Migino's right. It was the same as Hidari's. Tan hand, but everything else pale. When it was Shippo's turn, Shippo smiled and a tail suddenly sprouted from the seat of her pants. It was skinny and leathery, much like the one Sotari had. The only difference was that the part of the tail that had been Sotari's was purple and the rest of the tail (that was Shippo's) was pink.

Satisfied, Sotari snatched a magenta-colored from the floor and put it on. She looked to Hidari for approval. Again, the part-Sotari shook her head.

"It doesn't match your eyes."

~

Gohan lifted his head. The first sound that came out of his mouth was "Uuuhhh…" That was how much his head hurt. He had no need to tell what the warm gush on his forehead also meant. The boy looked over to Kuririn, who was still unconscious. At least he was alive. Gohan reached for the bag of senzou and ate one. Immediately, he felt better, though the wounds didn't go away. He'd have to wait until they reach Capsule Corp. Reaching into the bag again, Gohan drew another bean and put it in Kuririn's mouth. In three seconds, Kuririn was awake and sitting up, looking around him.

"Where are they!?" he shouted, "Where's Yamcha? Where's…"

"Kuririn! Calm down!" said Gohan, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, "They're gone."

Kuririn relaxed slightly, but he was still tense. His eyes suddenly grew sad.

"Tien and Chiatzu…"

His friend lowered his head.

"They never stood a chance…"

The two were silent for a moment, grieving. Gohan lifted his head.

"There's not much time, Kuririn. We've got to get back to Capsule Corp. We'll take their bodies with us…We can go to Namek and wish them back later."

The bald monk nodded. The two stood up and walked over to Tien's body. Kuririn lifted it up and threw it over his shoulder. Cold blood still came from Tien's head, unnerving Kuririn. Gohan took Chiatzu, and as the two men were about to leave, Gohan suddenly dropped Chiatzu. Kuririn raised an eyebrow, seeing the color drain from Gohan's face.

"What? What is it, Gohan?"

Shaking, Gohan pointed with white fingers. Kuririn looked…and froze. Not too far away was the headless corpse of Yamcha. Holes of the unspeakable red horror were shown all over his body, all himself bathed in red. Someone…someone mad and heartless…had stabbed Yamcha's body over and over, all in different places. Neither fighter had the courage to examine the body closer, though they would've found it that the holes had bored clear through the flesh, not puncturing, like a knife would. Even Yamcha's head, just a few feet from the bloody corpse, had a hole in the forehead. How fortunate his eyes were closed, or Gohan and Kuririn would've fainted right there. Not that they were close to it: they both felt a wave of nausea ripple over them. Kuririn looked away as Gohan fell on his knees and threw up. 

It was good time before either left the horrid scene, leaving Yamcha's pitiful death behind. Neither could bear to carry it to show to the rest. Not when they knew curious children would be there to watch. Gohan himself was almost eleven, and he still felt too young to deal with this. Even as he and Kuririn flew to Capsule Corp, Gohan could feel his childhood slipping away from him…

How happy he had been! Studying at home and cram school to become a scholar had been his and his mother's dream, now pushed further and further away as Gohan was forced to learn the ways of a warrior. Now he was stuck with it until who knew when. Maybe even until the end of his life. He felt like crying to his mother and the old need of her stroking his hair and wiping away his tears, telling him everything will be all right. Then, the next day, or maybe even later the same day, the nightmare would be over, and Gohan would be happy again. But those days had been long over, never to come back. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Somehow, even so young, Gohan felt like his life was going to end. How many more dead bodies would he see until then? How many more would he have to kill until then? How many tears would he shed until then?

~

Bulma sat at the window of baby Trunks' room, tapping her fingers on the windowsill, worried. It had been a while since she had seen everyone, and was extremely anxious to see them…alive. Especially Vegeta. She sighed and looked over at Trunks' crib. The Saiyajin halfling was sleeping peacefully, unaware of what dangers were going on. He was safe in his dreams. His mother wished it was the same for the Earth. Why was it constantly in trouble? 

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of wind outside. Bulma's heart leapt for a moment, thinking that Vegeta was home. She looked outside. It surprised her for a second that three strange men were carrying her husband to the front door. Who were they? Although Bulma almost never panicked, she nearly freaked out. What were they doing here? Were they going to demand something from her? Her ears could hear the doorbell ring. 

Cautiously, Bulma made her way downstairs. No one else was home, her father on an inspection of his factories and her mother out visiting friends. Bulma gripped a baseball bat in her hand as she peeked out the peephole in the door. She nearly fell backwards as she saw the face that impatiently waiting outside. He looked like Vegeta! But those eyes… The brilliant scientist now used the bat to support herself. With a shaking hand, she opened the door. With a weak smile, she waved to her son.

"Hi Trunks…"

Trunks smiled awkwardly, now looking into the eyes of his mother, minus twenty years.

"Hi…Mom…"

~

Trunks, his friends, and Bulma were now gathered in the kitchen, drinking some green tea. Vegeta was sleeping on the couch, his armor removed and lying on the couch next to him. Extremely curious as how did a grown-up Trunks appeared on her doorstep, Bulma threw question after question at the poor boy, sometimes jumbling her question together. She vaguely remembered him from three years ago and asked him about that, too. After many cups of hot tea, Trunks and his friends had managed to tell the entire story, including that of their horrible future. Bulma was silent as they finished.

"So…that's the future, huh," she said quietly, "Is that going to be our future, too?"

"I don't think so," said the brunette before Trunks could reply, "Since we've traveled back in time to try and recreate the past, I think we created a whole different universe, because when we returned to the future, it was still the same."

"Then what's the future of this timeline?" asked Bulma.

The man was quiet for a moment.

"I don't know," he finally replied, "Everything's been thrown off track, and there's no telling what will happen. There are things that were supposed to happen aren't happening…"

"Like what?"

"Um…"

The redhead spoke: "My brother and I were supposed to be born a year ago."

Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"You've said you've only been here for a few hours. How could you…"

"There's a machine in the time machine that tells us what events happened in the time we are in. It contains the whole history of time up to our time. I checked it before we landed…"

He grew quiet.

"Who's your brother?" Bulma asked.

The man motioned to the brown-haired man next to him. At that moment, a knock was heard on the kitchen door. Trunks stood up and answered it. He came back, his face a little pale.

"It's Gohan and Kuririn…with Tien and Chiatzu."

Bulma rose.

"Tien and Chiatzu are dead," said Trunks, his voice shaking.

"The jinounzingen," Bulma asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Trunks shook his head. The brothers' eyes widened.

"…By Sotari."

Gohan and Kuririn walked on, their clothes ripped and smelling of Tien and Chiatzu's blood. Bulma took out two more mugs and poured them tea. They accepted the drinks, but drank slowly as they related what happened. Dismay and horror filled the room as they told the details of how each warrior had died. Trunks gripped his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he growled under his breath, "There was _never _a Sotari in our time…_Never._ Piccolo never had children, much less a wife. He never even _looked_ at a woman twice."

"And there's no us in this timeline," added the redhead, reinforcing his earlier example.

"There's me, I know that much," said Trunks, "But of the others I don't know…"

Bulma looked at him.

"What others?"

The brothers and Trunks looked at each other. The brown-haired man shrugged his shoulders.

"Might as well…"

"In our time, everyone was there, except for the one you call 'Sotari' and her children. Kuririn's old girlfriend Marron and her husband Nappa had triplets," Trunks said, "Two of them are Basu and Pen, who are standing in this kitchen right now. The youngest, Denno, has stayed behind in the future with Yamcha and Yamako's daughter, Paiji, as are Tien and Lunch's twin girls, Toi and Akira, to protect Chi Chi, Bulma, and Lunch. All the other Z Senshi have died…"

Bulma swallowed hard.

"…Vegeta…?"

Trunks nodded, slowly.

"He was one of the last to die…"

Everyone was silent. After a few moments, Kuririn looked up from his cup of tea at the brothers.

"Which one of you is Basu?" he asked.

The brown-haired man raised his hand.

"That's me."

"And I'm Pen," said the redhead.
    "Your father was NAPPA!?" Kuririn said incredulously.
    Pen nodded and Basu crossed his arms.
    "It's not something we're particularly proud of," said Basu a little crossly.
"Having Marron for a mother…I don't blame you," remarked Kuririn, thinking about last week when Marron had dumped him.

"Anyway, we should get to business," Bulma said suddenly, "First, someone should wake up Vegeta."

Everyone looked at each other nervously. Bulma sighed with exasperation and threw up her hands.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Bulma disappeared into the living room. Two seconds later, a small yell came. Then Vegeta shouting: "WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY!?!?!?" Then Bulma shouting back: "IT'S ALL RIGHT, VEGETA!!! STOP IT!!!" There were sounds of scuffling, then something being dragged across the floor. The blue-haired Bulma came puffing back into the kitchen, pulling Vegeta behind her. It was apparent she had to knock him over the head with the baseball bat Bulma had earlier. It had done the job all right, but Vegeta's skull was so thick that the bat had cracked in two. Everyone had to stifle their laughter at Vegeta getting his ass kicked twice by women in the same day.

"I don't envy the headache he'll have when he wakes up," chuckled Pen.

"Anyway!" interrupted Bulma, "He'll wake up eventually. Right now, we need to find a way to defeat Sotari and her new 'friends' AND kill the jinounzingen at the same time. Let me see…"

She took a moment to count heads.

"…There's seven of us, including Goku. By the way, does anyone know if Goku is all right?"

"I'm on it," said Gohan, reaching for the phone behind him.

"Okay," continued Bulma, "So half of you guys---Trunks, Basu and Vegeta---should go after the jinounzingen and destroy them. The rest of you---Kuririn, Goku (if he's okay), Gohan, and Pen go after Sotari and her minions."

Everyone agreed with Bulma's plan except Gohan. He was too busy trying to reassure his mother that he was all right and that none of his limbs were maimed or missing. Finally, Gohan managed to hang up and sigh with relief.

"Tou-san's all right," he said to the relief of the others, "He's back on his feet and on his way over here."

"That's great!" said Bulma, "Instant transmission?"

"No," replied Gohan, "Mom says that he's got something to do before he comes. He'll be here soon, though."

"That's still good. It'll give me a chance to get new clothes for all of you," said Bulma, "All of you stink!"

~

Meanwhile, in the Upper World, a long line of clouds pushed and shoved as they waited for their turn to be judged by the great King Enma. A small blue man with horns and glasses sighed and picked up a megaphone, shouting: 

"ALL YOU GET BACK IN LINE!! NO CUTTING, NO SHOVING, NO PUSHING, NO HORSEPLAYING WHATSOEVER!!! ALL WILL GET A CHANCE TO SEE KING ENMA! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BATHROOMS OR REFRESHMENTS, COME SEE ME!!"

The clouds were quiet---for a while. After only fifteen minutes, the squabbling started again. Only one cloud was silent. It was a slightly darker shade than the others, and it stayed where it was. There was no need for it to go anywhere. It watched in slight boredom as the quarrels came and went until it was finally its turn to go in. The giant red King Enma sat at his desk, drumming his fingers on his enormous desk. The number of deaths had been slow that day, so he was bored. However, he sat up as soon as the cloud arrived in the middle of the giant floor.

"Well, well, well," his deep voice echoing in the room, and rubbing his hands, "If it isn't Piccolo, the self-proclaimed, former Demon King."

He eyed Piccolo's soul with a glint of mischief.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, since we last met. You've done better than I expected."

King Enma picked up a folder marked 'Piccolo, Son of Piccolo Daimaoh'. Compared to what Piccolo used to have, this folder was _much _thinner. After flipping through a few papers, King Enma took out a sheet of paper, adjusted his glasses, and began to read aloud. It was written in a loose writing style called 'short speak' for recording the lives by all living beings in the universe since there were too many files to process each day. The page that King Enma pulled out read as follows, skimming over Piccolo's lifetime:

Daimaoh 461 Appear 753 5/7 753 5/9 Goku Gohan train 761 6 762 11/3 Nappa die---111 North Kai 762 12/18 762 12/24 2 Dragonballs Die 2 765 6/12 Sotari 

"Your life was pretty brief, eh, Piccolo?" chuckled King Enma as he put away the paper, "And your life taken by Sotari---ouch."

The cloud said nothing.

"Well," continued King Enma, reaching for one of the two enormous stamps on his desk while still scanning the rest of the file, "According to your record, you've saved the lives of Chikyuu quite a few times. That's including your exploits on Old Namek and that of the encounter with the demon sensei. It seems you've more than made up for your count of 111 people that I considered to be of _your _own doing, not your father's. However…"

His hand paused.

"…There's this incident written here…Damn, the print's so small…"

The King of the Dead picked up a magnifying glass and inspected the tiny font closely. The text read, or at least to King Enma: "…763 1/13 T.L.K.L.N.G.+Jito (assist.) Die Sotari+Piccolo…"

At that point, King Enma's face turned a dark purple. The cloud seemed to look up at the king for a moment, wondering what had happened. It didn't have to wait long for its answer. King Enma slammed his colossal hands on the desk, producing a rumbling noise equal to a stampede of elephants. He glared at the cloud; his face was livid.

"I MADE IT CLEAR, PICCOLO, THAT YOU WOULDN'T KILL ANY INNOCENT BEINGS AS OF NOVEMBER 3, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO!!! KAMI HAD ASSURED ME THAT YOU WOULD CHANGE FROM YOUR FATHER'S WAYS!! YOU HAVE NOT KILLED PEOPLE…YOU HAVE KILLED A LOVE GODDESS AND HER ASSISTANT!!!!"

King Enma seized the piece of paper from the desk and jabbed it in front of the cloud. With a red finger, he poked at the betraying line on the paper.

"IT'S RIGHT THERE, BLACK AND WHITE, 'THE LITTLE KITTY LOVE NUT GODDESS AND HER ASSISTANT JITO WERE KILLED ON JANUARY 13 BY SOTARI AND PICCOLO THREE YEARS AGO!!!"

"But…" the cloud started, speaking for the first time.

"…AT THIS TIME, YOU, PICCOLO, THE FORMER DEMON KING OF CHIKYUU, ARE CONDEMNED TO HELL, BY THE CRIMES OF YOUR FATHER AND YOURSELF!!!!"

The enraged King of the Dead reached into a drawer of his desk. If the cloud could see what was in that drawer, it was a pile of stamps. Unlike the two blue and red stamps King Enma used regularly for sending people to Heaven and Hell, these were specially used to either everlasting damnation or eternal bliss. The one King Enma needed was near the bottom of the pile. His giant hand drew two stamps. They were distinctly different, in which the first one was a dark blood red with black ink. The other was made of pure ice that didn't melt and had ice for ink. For a split second, the King Enma was tempted to use the second one, but didn't. Somehow, as irate as he was, King Enma knew that Piccolo's crimes were almost nothing compared to those who deserved the ice stamp. 

So, in a fit of half-kindness, he threw away the ice stamp back in the drawer. Then, with a purposeful strength, King Enma raised back his arm and stamped Piccolo's folder. He let the stamp sit on the folder for a second, making sure the entirety of the print was there, and pulled it away. The black ink shone in the glare of the overhead lights, then dried. King Enma couldn't help but grin a little. At least Kami wasn't there to barrage him to let Piccolo go to King Kai again or something.

"KAREE!!" shouted King Enma.

A small demon creature appeared in a puff of aqua smoke. Its skin was a dirty green with aqua claws and fins. The creature's red eyes glittered with delight as it spotted Piccolo's soul on the floor. King Enma nodded. In a flash, the creature had flown down to the cloud and taken hold of it with its claws. In another poof of smoke, both the lizard and the cloud disappeared. The King of the Dead sighed, picking up a book titled "Who's Who", and shouted towards the door "NEXT!"

~

The fighting quartet had departed from the house and was flying to the Kami House, where Sotari remembered Yamcha taking him. While they were passing over the various islands, they suddenly saw Goku flying in the opposite direction. It didn't appear that he noticed them, and they almost didn't see him either.

"Well," said Hidari, smiling at Goku below, "There he is."

"Let's get him!" said Shippo, eager to fight again.

She brandished her sword and began to fly down there when Sotari caught hold of her shoulder.

"Wait," she said.

"What?" asked an annoyed Shippo.

"Wait…Do you know where he's going?"

"…No. Why?"

"If he is going to where the others are," said Sotari, "Then there are the other Z Senshi…"

Hidari nodded in agreement.

"We shouldn't try to attack him now, Shippo," she said, keeping her voice low in case Goku sensed it, "Let's wait until he leads us to the others."

"Oh, but that's so simple," whined Shippo.

"Just listen to her," interrupted Migino, speaking for the first time in a long time, "The sooner we kill Goku, the less of a threat anyone else will be."

Shippo looked at her for a moment and fell silent. She nodded. So the foursome changed their direction, keeping a reasonable distance between them and Goku. Eventually, they saw Goku descend and land on an island. Curious, they pursued him; their minds puzzled by what might ensue from this venture. They managed to position themselves in a well-concealed, leafy area that had an excellent rear view of Goku, who was in a clearing. He seemed to be searching for something, sometimes on his knees and digging for uprooting a few plants. Shippo was acting up again, her small whines escalating into major complaints.

"His back is to us! Why don't we just attack him now? We can always find the others later!"

"Shut up, Shippo!" hissed Hidari, "He'll hear us!"

"I don't care," snapped Shippo, rising up from her kneeling position in the foliage, "I'm going!"

Her movements made a great deal of rustling noise, and Goku jerked his head back to see a young girl armed with two guns and a sword. Bewildered, but no threatened, Goku stood up, his eyes wide with curiosity. It was obvious he had no idea that anyone was there.

"It's your day to die, Goku," said Shippo, smirking at his surprised look.

She raised one of her guns, while gripping her sword tightly in the other hand. A bang echoed in the air, and Goku fell. Shippo's smirked grew wider, but suddenly disappeared as she saw Goku sit up, the bullet caught between his teeth.

"Damn!" she cursed.

Goku had been taller than she thought. It wasn't like her to miss her target's head, either. However, she brushed this misjudgment aside and started aiming again. Her aimed target had other plans. He succeeded in frustrating her to no end, teleporting from one place to another and to another. 

Shippo's gun eventually ran out of bullets, so she had to waste the other one. She did not, however, toss the weapons aside. Instead, she'd put them back in her pants/holster and started charging at him with her sword. At that point, Goku stopped and stood, waiting for her. Shippo attacked him at every angle, which Goku evaded and dodged. Her anger eventually led to furious thrusts of her sword and fierce combinations of kicks and punches. 

He sensed her irritated state and caught her foot. She twisted it out of his grasp and did a double kick with the same foot at Goku's stomach. Goku grunted, giving her the chance to kick his head, then grab his shoulders and knee his stomach. Up came blood from Goku's mouth, but he didn't stay weak for long. He came up again, grabbing her arm this time, and pulling her in for a punch in the face. A small shriek came from Shippo as she heard her nose break. 

With a wild swing, she nearly cut Goku's head off with her sword, and would've if her eyes hadn't been closed in pain. At once, Goku disarmed her, throwing the potentially deadly weapon aside. Enraged, Shippo reared her head back and butted him in the chest, forcing him to let go of her arm. Goku leapt back and hurriedly plucked the sword from the ground and held it in front of Shippo's face.

"Who are you," he said, puffing a little, "Why are you trying to kill me?"

Shippo scowled at him.

"Answer me!" Goku ordered.

A cold feeling suddenly came from Goku's side. He felt a warmth gush from an open wound. The agony rushed through him, and he cried in pain. Goku knelt down, holding the wound, trying to stop the blood from escaping. Hidari removed her sword, smirking at Goku. The blade dripped with dark blood, staining the oily grass beneath them. Migino and Sotari weren't far behind, standing at a distance. Shippo looked down at Goku and kicked his face, breaking _his _nose.

"You dumb ass!" Shippo yelled at him, holding his head and kneeing his face some more, "You'll pay!"

More blood spurted from Goku's nose and mouth, sending waves of suffering over him. Shippo only looked on him in coldness.

"You haven't even _started_ feeling pain," she told, then grabbed her fallen sword on the ground, "And now…"

"Shippo!"

"What?"

Shippo looked over to where Migino was. Sotari noticed Migino's eyes were watering a little.

"Stop it!" Migino shouted, "Don't!"

Only a dirty look answered her.

"He has to die!" Shippo proclaimed, and Hidari nodded in agreement, "It is our duty!"

"Duty?" Migino responded, her usually quiet voice becoming louder, "Duty? To whom?"

"To the memory of Dr. Gero and the Red Ribbon Army, who would've made the world ours! Goku was the one who ruined the perfect future!"

"That mission for a perfect future is OVER, Shippo, Hidari!"

"Yet Goku lives!"

For what little Sotari knew of her companions, she had _never_ anticipated argument within the group. The things they were saying were beginning to confuse her, and she was beginning to wonder, for the first time, _what_ this murder plot for Goku was _really _about. She did nothing to intervene. For a moment, Sotari thought if she was being a coward for not siding with anyone.

"What other futures might Goku ruin?" Shippo asked Migino, her eyes blazing, "What other terrible things might Goku bring upon this world?"

"He has done nothing but prevent corruption and death!" Migino replied, her eyes lit with a fire no one had seen before.

"He has brought death to those who oppose him!"

Migino's voice grew quiet, yet it was calm and unnerving for Shippo and Hidari to hear what came next: "And he has brought life and hope to the once dead, something that your beautiful future could've never done. There would be pain, suffering, and sorrow wandering the Earth, and the blood shed would only bring death to us all."

At last, there was the break. Shippo gripped her sword more tightly than ever, Hidari the same. Migino had no weapons, but merely tightened her fists and her scowl. However, before any blood could be done, Shippo and Hidari found themselves knocked down by two forces _other than Sotari and Migino._ Hidari could feel her sword being stolen, hearing it being thrown somewhere in the distance. Her comrade felt the sharp clip to her chin, causing her losing of her sword. The two didn't know what hit them until both fell to the ground. A moment later, they looked up, dazed.

A boy and girl, standing back to back, their arms crossed, looked down on the women with hard looks. The boy had black hair and dark eyes, wearing a blue sweatshirt and red shorts. His friend, the girl, had golden blonde hair and eyes of a deepest blue. She wore a purple tank top and tight-fitting jeans. They scattered, the boy fighting Hidari and the girl taking on Shippo. 

Though Shippo and Hidari were built to be as powerful as Sotari, there began to show some certain differences between them and her. For one thing, Sotari almost _never_ let humiliation get in the way of a fight, for she was a hard person to actually do so. The concentration and coolness Hidari and Shippo had so previously possessed had quite gone as their cheeks burned red with embarrassment. Half the time they were too busy wondering how they were too recover from this disgraceful ordeal, leaving many openings to the newcomers to take advantage of. 

Secondly, as Sotari observed them, there were actually, in very minute forms, power differences. Perhaps they were supposed to _grow_ as powerful as Sotari, but they didn't seem to have been _born_ that way. As much as Hidari was skilled with a sword, she was quite helpless without it, and her dress kept getting in the way of her feet. All talents except agility were stripped from her from the time her sword had been tossed aside. However, even agility didn't help her much, for the boy was, if not more, faster. As for Shippo, she had developed her skills with her sword and guns so much that she could've made an art out of them. But in spending so much time and energy in these things, Shippo had sacrificed pure nerve and power, which made her quite powerless against the girl.

After a few minutes, Migino tugged on Sotari's arm.

"We go," she said simply, her voice as quiet as before, "It is too late for them…"

Sotari nodded silently, and the two left the grisly scene. Only Goku saw them leaving, but he did not have the energy to call to the others for support. Eventually, the fight was over, and Hidari and Shippo were taken prisoner. The boy and girl laid the two women side by side and hurried to Goku.

"Are you all right?" asked the boy, kneeling down by Goku.

Goku managed to crack a small smile and weakly make a thumbs-up sign.

"Good," said the boy, smiling in relief, "We thought we'd be too late."

He turned to the girl standing behind him. She nodded and dragged the two women over to Goku and the boy.

"Don't worry," reassured the boy to Goku, "We're on your side."

"I know…" Goku whispered, "There's a good ki around you two…"

"Can you still do your instant transmission?"

"…I think so…"

The boy took hold of Goku's wrist and the girl held onto the boy's shoulder while still gripping the rope she had tied to the prisoners' wrists. A second later, they were gone.

~


	13. RD: Dumb Blondes

Notes-In this alternate universe of DBZ, there are four layers of Hell. First is what is dubbed in the English version 'Place of Infinite Losers', where Goku fell off of Snake Way (referring to it as 'Jigoku'). Second layer is Felosmus, sort of a second division of the first layer (and the most crowded), and hardly worth mentioning. The main focus of this story, however, is the third layer, which is called Dysodea. However, the worst Hell to get condemned to is what is fondly referred to as 'The Icebox Hell', though its formal name is The Hall of Ice.

~

Piccolo's eyes blinked. All he could see was blood red all around him. He couldn't tell one thing from the other; even if he looked at his hands, Piccolo wouldn't be able to distinguish them apart. Everything was a heavy sheet of scarlet. The poor soul closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Wafting into his nostrils was the cold smell of blood.

__

Disgusting… thought Piccolo, _Even the air here is soaked of blood…_

A heavy, cold, crimson mist was clouding his vision, and now parted away willingly. A trickle of sweat slid down the side of Piccolo's face. The mist had given way to the humidity in the area, making him sweat, and it seemed to change the colors all around him, making the surroundings more distinguishable.Dysodea was a cheerless place, though certainly not lacking in the dry, dark maroon of stubby grass dying beneath Piccolo's feet. Sparse cherry blossom trees grew here and there, barely reaching the height of six feet, though the shade of deep, rich red bark went well with their faded fragile blossoms. Scarlet mountains loomed above in the distance, as he sensed, where pink snow would stay but could not fall. Piccolo looked up to see that the sky had also changed. It was a swirling mass of bright red. 

Dysodea…

A rustling sound nearby disturbed his open thoughts. He instantly whirled around and struck a fighting stance. The noise had come from a bush behind him. Leaves rustled once more as Piccolo shouted at the bush.

"Who are you! Come out of there!"

Another rustle answered him. Piccolo's senses were suddenly overwhelmed with a strange, icy feeling gripping him like a vice. He was suddenly aware of something like arms wrapping around his shoulders and spreading downwards. A breath of cold steely ice pierced him like a spear, clinging and stinging to his neck. The feeling wasn't right and Piccolo immediately tried to shake it off. It was evil, he knew, and it could only come from being in Hell. Even as he fought this force, he still held his focus on the suspicious bush.

"I'm warning you!"

The bush stopped its rustling. Piccolo could suddenly feel himself relax, and the cold feeling subsided. A shadow rose from the bush, with extremely feminine curves. Piccolo's eyes widened a little as a head of glossy raven-black hair lifted to reveal a white face with bright scarlet lips and large, cat-shaped eyes. The girl stood up to her full height of a mere five feet four (compared to Piccolo's eight feet), appearing to a teenager. Her clothes easily supported this thought. A sleeveless red shirt with three black stripes and torn jean capris, along with a black ribbon tied to her right wrist was her attire. Her feet were bare, but all nails were painted the same shade as her lips, and a simple gold anklet wound around her left ankle. A pair of leathery dragon wings stretched as the girl stepped from the bush, her manner cool and calm.

"There is no need to attack me, Namekian," she said lightly, her voice slightly too, what Piccolo thought, 'creamy' for her, "I was only watching."

A shiver passed through Piccolo. There was something wrong and he knew it, though the girl seemed all right enough, as if standing in the presence of potential punishment and wondering if you've done anything wrong. That reassuring smile of hers couldn't be genuine. And something in her voice triggered an old memory…

"I'm new, if you haven't noticed," replied Piccolo, his voice devoid of any quavers he might've felt, "Who are you?"

"I'm Callistus…Of the Beautiful."

Her eyes glinted.

"Who are _you_?" she asked sweetly.

"Piccolo," said Piccolo curtly, then added as if to impress her, "Former Demon King and son of Piccolo Daimao."

"Really?"

There was a hint of amusement in her voice. Piccolo felt himself tense, wondering wildly for a second if he should have to defend himself.

"Problem?" he said with more force than he intended.

"No, no…"

The girl---Callistus---smiled at him and folded her arms, as if it pleased her to aggravate the former Demon King.

"…I just find it hard to believe that I'm actually meeting the son of Piccolo Daimao…"

Piccolo waited, not letting up in his fighting stance.

"…Whose father killed my mother…" 

Piccolo didn't even flinch.

"My father killed thousands of people," he said matter-of-factly, "It's not something I'm particularly proud of, and I'd prefer that you don't mention it again."

Callistus smiled, her pearly white teeth exposing fangs, and turned her head to her side. Amusement was clearly written in her face as she closed her eyes, as if to hide from Piccolo the mirth that was dancing in them.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, _Piccolo_," she said, sounding his name out slowly, "It is not the first time someone has killed thousands of people…"

She turned her head back to him.

"…You and your father are one of many who have done such crimes. And hardly many of them end up here, and you should be thankful. Most of them end up going to the Icebox Hell…trapped for all eternity in ice…"

Her eyes opened. Piccolo was surprised to learn that their color was shockingly ordinary: brown. There were rather deep shades of brown, though, almost black, with some flecks of gold in them.

"…Regretting…hating…it doesn't matter, because you're dead and it's done. Yes, Piccolo, you _should _be grateful to the Judge of the Dead. He was only kind enough to send you here instead."

Callistus stretched her dragon-like wings. For a fleeting moment, Piccolo thought there was a change. A vision passed over his eyes, that depicted of Callistus…dressed in a flowing ebony dress and pearls and her thin white fingers running through endless raven hair, eyes flashing, and laughing…Standing alone in a world soaked with red… Piccolo shook his head, the sight passing away.

__

What the hell was that?

"Who are you?" he found himself saying, slowly, as his memory found the vision again.

The girl seemed more amused than ever. She held her right elbow in her left hand while her fingers twirled her hair.

"I told you, Piccolo," she said, "My name is…"

"No," cut in Piccolo, "I mean… _Where do you come from? What have you done?"_

Callistus' face turned sour, and her fingers stopped twirling.

"Oh…_that."_

As if finding Piccolo suddenly distasteful, she turned her back on him. Piccolo held out a hand, suddenly feeling an urge to reach for her.

"Wait…"

Without his knowing, Callistus secretly smiled again, her eyes narrowing slightly with pleasure.

__

How cute…

"It's all right, Namekian," she said, "I just want to talk someplace quiet…"

As Piccolo climbed up the hill, Callistus' grin grew wider.

__

…Yes, you should be grateful, son of Piccolo Daimao…

~

A good time had passed since Goku's phone call. Everyone was tense, waiting the kitchen. All had hastily taken showers and borrowed fresh clothes in a hurried preparation for Goku's arrival. When jinounzingen were on the loose, there wouldn't be much time to wait. Now, as the minutes ticked by, it seemed everyone was on the edge of breaking loose and searching for Goku like agitated bees freed from boxes. However, Bulma held them back, weak as she was, urging them to wait, because "Goku will be here any second!"

"It's been almost half an hour since he called!" argued Trunks, his face flushed, "The jinounzingen have probably blown up ten cities by now! Every second counts!"

"Goku has never failed us before," said Bulma firmly, "He'll be here."

Just in time, a knock came from the kitchen door. Pen rushed over and opened it. Standing in front of him was a girl, a stormy expression riding her face. Pen's eyes popped open.

"Paiji!?" he exclaimed.

Trunks shoved passed him, knocking Pen onto the floor, his own eyes widening in pure disbelief. He blocked the doorway, so those who were curious of the newcomer had to peep over Trunks' shoulders.

"Pai Pai!?" Trunks cried, his astonished voice holding traces of sheer happiness, "You're alive!? How? I mean, I…"

Before the girl could reply, he had swept her off her feet and was swinging her around. Everyone's jaw dropped as they witnessed Trunks plant a big wet kiss on the girl's lips. Bulma was especially shocked, and she started asking Basu and Pen: "Just _who_ is my son kissing?"

"Um, that's Paiji," said Basu, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "She's, um, Trunks' best friend…"

__

"And?" said Bulma, raising an eyebrow, knowing there was more.

"…Girlfriend…"

Bulma stood rooted to the spot. Her expression was priceless. However, she snapped out of her reverie as she heard the sounds of protest from the girl.

"Trunks! Now is _not_ the time! Goku is hurt!"

There was a scuffle, and Bulma pushed her way through the crowd to find Trunks looking dazed and hurt as the girl marched away from him to the back lawn. There, lying face up in the grass was a _very_ bloodied-up Goku.

"Tou-san!" shouted Gohan, running forward.

The girl whirled around and stared at Gohan, her face turning white like a sheet. Gohan paused, confused.

"Sensei!?" the girl called out to Gohan.

Gohan's eyes widened. The girl suddenly shook her head vigorously and started again towards Goku. Beside Goku was a boy with black hair and dark eyes, grasping a rope that was tied to the wrists of two unconscious women in the grass.

"Hey! Those are fighters who were with Sotari!" Gohan said, pointing at them, "What are they…?"

"We found them," said the boy, waving a hand, "Let's get them in the rejuvenation tanks!"

"How did…" Kuririn started, but beside him, Basu waved a hand.

"Later, Kuririn…Later."

"Why rejuvenation?" the bald monk persisted, remembering their dead comrades, "We should kill them now before…"

"They might be helpful," Basu interrupted with his lame excuse.

Doubtful, but too weak to intervene, Kuririn shoved his hands in his pockets and went to kitchen for more tea. The others soon followed, and all congregated in the emergency room, ears attentive and open for listening. How an extremely long story of the broken future was told in less than six minutes in there, in the presence of managing the controls for the rejuvenation tanks, was beyond anyone's state of thought. Trunks told some parts in very graphic detail, making people cringe, especially Bulma.

"…Is that…" he said, his eyes wide and stunned, "…What happens…To Vegeta?"

Trunks nodded.

"My poor baby!"

"Kaa-san, it's all right," gasped Trunks as his mother gave him a death hug, "It's okay, really…"

"No time for sentiment!" said Kuririn, gripping his fists, "We can't let any more time pass us by! It's time now to finish this once and for all!"

"Right!" said Bulma, releasing Trunks, "Okay! With Goku out, we'll divide into new groups…"

"Including me?" interjected a voice.

Everyone turned to face the boy with dark hair.

"Oh, you, Denno?" said Basu, smiling, "Of course!"

"Oye, what about me," said the girl (whose name is Paiji), a small scowl crossing her face, "Don't I…"

"Yes, yes," reassured Bulma quickly, who was developing a slight distaste for the girl, "You can go with Basu, Kuririn, Denno to go after Sotari."

She turned to the others.

"I'll wake Vegeta up again so he can go with the rest of you (Pen, Gohan, Trunks) to find the jinounzingen."

"But Kaa-san!" protested Trunks, grabbing hold of his mother's arm, "I want to stay here…"

"That's all right," said Bulma quickly, anxious to wake Vegeta, "We can…"

"I'll stay here, too," volunteered Kuririn, then added, "No telling whether those jinounzingen will attack Capsule Corp or not."

"All right, then," said Basu, "Let's go!"

"Un ga ii (good luck)," murmured Bulma, Trunks, and Kuririn as the fighters filed out of the kitchen door.

When the last one was out the door, Trunks and Kuririn departed for the emergency room as Bulma turned to the chair where Vegeta was lying unconscious.

"Wake up, Vegeta!" shouted Bulma, shaking the Saiyajin roughly, "Come on! They're…"

"WHAT!?" Vegeta's roar echoed in the mansion as he knocked Bulma to the floor, "WHERE ARE THEY!?!?"

"No! The jinounzingen aren't here!" yelled Bulma, "You have to go with Pen and Gohan to…"

Vegeta paused a moment, cocking an eyebrow.

"_Pen?_ Who'd name their spawn after a…"

"Just get going!" interrupted Bulma, "They're waiting for you to go fight the jinounzingen and…"

"Wait! I'm not…"

"They'll explain everything _later!"_

"All right," grunted Vegeta, "Just as long as I get to…"

"Yes, yes! Go and kill those jinounzingen for me, will you?"

Vegeta started for the door, grinning at Bulma with that familiar evil-Vegeta smile.

"And that other mudblood Saiyajin…She is not dead?"

Bulma shook her head.

"Good…Good-bye, Onna."

"Wait!"

The Saiyajin Prince paused a moment, puzzled, as Bulma's hand dove into her pocket for something. She rushed forward and held out something that glittered in the light. Even more bewildered, Vegeta held out his hand…to receive a bracelet. The charms were of small, round diamonds of equal size and shape, linking to each other like an endless line of circles. Vegeta's eyebrow was raised again. He recognized this.

"Onna," he said with slight exasperation in his voice, "This is---what you humans call---'good luck charm'. Why are you giving…"

He didn't finish his sentence as Bulma suddenly leapt forward and threw her arms around his neck.

"Just promise me," said Bulma, closing her eyes tightly, remembering Trunks' story, "That you'll come back…"

"What? What's a promise?"

It was Bulma's turn to sigh with irritation.

"You Saiyajins!" she muttered under her breath, then to Vegeta, "It's a human thing, Vegeta. It's like…you'll do something for someone no matter what will happen."

"Oh," said Vegeta, rolling his eyes, "An order."

"No, no! It's not something you have to do or die, but…Out of love."

"What?"

"Just do it, you blockhead!"

"Onna…"

Vegeta's eyes turned to the open kitchen door.

"Let go of me…"

Reluctantly, she did, and Vegeta left…But not without the bracelet.

~

Sotari's eyes shifted from her left to her right, sensing a shivering presence in the early afternoon forest air. For a warm, early afternoon, the forest seemed to possess a deathly chill, like what a funeral does to a household.

**__**

Something isn't right…

Migino stood stiffly behind Sotari, breathing quietly. The two women were in some woods now, not far from the coast, whose ocean held the very island they came from. It was Migino's idea to head for the mainland and travel inwards. At first, it seemed like a reasonable idea. But as soon as Sotari touched the sand she knew there was something wrong. Perhaps it was the way of the landscape; Grass was scanty, gray, and coarse. Despite the excellent weather, no flowers had dared shown their faces. Life in this part of the forest was slow and gloomy; the feeling was uncomfortable, finding places to inhabit in the trees, grass, and undergrowth. It was in the air, too, faintly, but there. Even the animals seemed to have sensed it, and had gone away. What was really beginning to frustrate Sotari now was that she didn't know _what_ it was that was so amiss.

"What can be so _wrong?_" she said aloud, then looking at Migino, "Don't you sense it, too?"

Her companion gazed past Sotari, and Sotari looked ahead. Migino seemed to be staring at a space between two enormous trees that towered and ruled above all others like kings of old. Golden-yellow light flowed through their leaves and past the tough bark, penetrating the forest's darkness like a heavenly gate. Sotari's eyes narrowed, using her robotic senses to focus into the light. When there was nothing, she starting to squint, and then saw it… Nearly totally obscured from view by the undergrowth, a rounded translucent object could be seen, the light bouncing off its smooth surface.

"What…" Sotari found herself whispering, "…Is that?"

Before she knew it, Sotari found herself flying towards the two trees and object, Migino wordlessly following. When Sotari reached the trees, she realized that they were actually on the edge of a very steep slope, their twisted ancient roots hanging carelessly over, stumbling over rocks and around bushes. Sotari wondered briefly just how long those trees had been there. She motioned to Migino about the slope. She flew a few feet in the air and hovered, looking around for the round object she saw. It was then the very moment she caught her first glimpse of…

"The time machine!"

Sotari flew down to the ground, her eyes fixed on a strange-looking object simply _covered_ with green plants, wondering…

"How the hell did _this_ get here?"

She brushed away part of the green, revealing a word scribed in fine black: "Freedom!" It was the time machine all right. Momentary flashes of memory came to Sotari, bringing her back three years ago…To a boy with blue eyes and a terrible swift sword…And his friends: A girl of golden hair and fierce intentions…The boy whose kind smile would lighten even the most depressed of hearts… It all came back in a few brief seconds, reminding Sotari of the vehicle they had so abruptly arrived in. That very same vehicle was standing before her now, plain and as real as day, but it unnerved Sotari to think…

__

"What happened?"

Her hand ran across the green again, crumbling more off the smooth surface.

"This looks like it's been here for years…But I thought they left three years ago…"

Sotari closed her eyes, sensing far away ki, not trusting her own memories.

"…I sense their presence…And others, too… But I don't understand."

The pink eyes opened again.

"…Could they have left this machine here the last time? But there was only one…And who else would have the word 'Freedom' written here? And who would drive it?"

"I know," spoke up a voice behind Sotari.

The half-Saiyajin's eyes shifted their glance at Migino, who still stood between the trees. Sunlight fell across her face and her hair, making her appearance gentle and innocent. Not a trace of the previous violence seemed to be there, though those haunting, mournful eyes held secrets.

"Cell."

For a moment, Sotari was stunned. Struck dumb, she gaped at Migino, wondering how she could know of such things, despite the fact that Sotari's very blood flowed within Migino's veins. Then, as the silence swiftly passed, a sudden growth of hatred and anger swelled in her breast. She gripped her pale fists so hard that her nails dug semicircles in her palms. Her eyes lit a furious fire.

"Liar," she said in a dangerous tone, "That's not…"

Migino interrupted her, an alien expression of anger setting her face afire. Sotari didn't back down, taking a step forward, but Migino receded into a sitting position, one hand curled around her knee and still scowling.

"You doubt me," she said, and Sotari knew it wasn't a question.

The girl's sorrowful front was cast away and forgotten, and Migino's new personality surfaced, throwing more spite and malice than Sotari could've ever mustered. Even her speech had become more pointed, less feeling, and short. It was doubtful of exactly _what_ part of Sotari was the girl supposed to be.

"It's true; don't even deny it. He came here by the time machine. From one of those timelines Trunks created. Had to become larvae; broke out from his egg case (inside time machine) when he came (three years ago). Come to get you (you probably didn't survive in the future) and androids. Present Cell won't be born for a while, so no worry from _him_."

The half-Saiyajin stood, speechless, but hardly scarce of anger. She was on the verge of smashing Migino's face with a ki blast when her voice cut her attack short.

"Why kill me, Sotari?"

A rare, grim smile curled Migino's lips, so brief that the sight seemed more imaginary than real.

"_I am you_," Migino continued, "Cell will kill you. Don't wish to leave something behind? Not your children…Having Piccolo's spoiled blood. Why not me? Own flesh and blood…"

Her offer almost made Sotari mad with rage. How dare she! Whatever Piccolo had done, his noble blood was nothing to be ashamed of! She marched right up the slope to that girl, and, hardly conscious of what she was doing, grabbed her throat and held her high above the air.

"Take that back," she spat, her voice full of venom, "You filthy little street whore; flesh and blood my ass, you are _nothing like me._ Who the hell are you to claim you are part of me? A damn suntan and killing Yamcha isn't anything!"

"Isn't it?" Migino answered evenly despite the situation.

Sotari wasn't willing to give Migino even a chance, but before anything else happened, Migino was talking again.

"Fine," she said, "You want proof? I know why Gero 'created' you then."

The half-Saiyajin paused, and her grip loosened slightly. Migino stole the advantage and told her tale, leisurely taking her time.

"It all started long ago, when Dr. Gero was first creating androids. He wondered and dreamed if there was any possible way to create a perfect being. After many years, he succeeded, but there was a problem. His creation could reach perfection, but it could not maintain it. In tests, it was revealed that once his creation achieved that stage, something very strange would occur…something that could ruin everything. Cell would _change._ Not to more perfection, but _back to imperfection."_

"He would grow backwards, spitting up the androids and turning back into his imperfect forms. Eventually, he'd go back to the larvae he was and stay that way. There was no real cause for this problem, but nonetheless, Gero need a solution. After much research, he found that an extra absorbent was needed…But not just any kind, but one that could match in power and DNA with Cell. Goku was briefly considered, but Cell rejected it. All the other Z Senshi were tested, but each time it was not compatible. As a last resort, Gero started after the DNA files of humans, seeking the perfect match. It wasn't until one day, when a woman broke into his lab…"

Sotari's curt voice sliced the air like a knife, her eyes flashing with loathing, having to be satisfied with Migino's presentation. However, the feelings of bellicose resentment lingered, and she dropped Migino to the ground like a sack of rice.

"There is no need to tell the rest."

~

Piccolo leaned back against the wall of the cave and breathed deeply. Of all places in Dysodea, this cave was the only location that didn't have such a heavy smell of blood within. As Piccolo had discovered, while flying over the landscape behind Callistus, that _everything_ was of blood. Even the water was saturated with it, and tasted like it. However, fortunate for this cave, it was behind a bloody waterfall, which seemed to serve as a shield from most of the scarlet fumes, causing the air inside to be more bearable. Callistus sat next to the Namekian.

"Better?" she said in her creamy voice.

The former Demon King nodded, his eyes closed.

"Good," she said, smiling, "Now would you like to know where I come from, Piccolo, son of Piccolo Daimao?"

"You seem to be proud of the fact that I am my father's son," said Piccolo, opening his eyes and gazing at Callistus, "I would've thought you'd hate me and him for killing your mother."

"You aren't like your father," Callistus explained, "And I find that…interesting."

Both of Piccolo's eyebrows raised, but he didn't say anything. Callistus grinned, her fangs and her large brown eyes seeming to glow in the dim red light.

"My mother's name was Phaedra of the Tragic. She had the proud ancestry of the Onibeing race flowing within her, but it was unfortunate that her blood was spoiled by a trusting nature…Too trusting, I might added…"

Her eyes glinted, perhaps with resent.

"…Like a weakling human's…"

Piccolo stared straight into her eyes, fascinated by they way they reminded him of something…He tugged back at his memory, trying to remember…But it was gone as Callistus' voice pierced his thoughts with her story.

"…Because of her great splendor, as all Onibeings are beautiful, and her foolishness, my mother was too easily manipulated by many. Among those…"

Callistus' eyes flickered again, this time, with something beyond definition.

__

Hate? 

"…Was your father, Namekian…Piccolo Daimao, the True Demon King. Some time after that, I was born. It is not known who the father was, but I have inherited much from Him…"

She stared at the ground.

"…The news of my birth spread around my planet like wild flame. When Onibeings give birth, it is loathed and dreaded like death itself. For we, as you might know, our race is not loved…Because of our fantastic powers, we are regarded as demons and devils, collectors of dirty pennies, witches…All those abhorred names seemed to be part of my heritage. There are countless stories of those sorts of massacres and the slaughter of my people for so many years, that no one remembers when it actually started…Most of it is fantasy and lies, I tell you!" 

"But I digress…While my mother labored, the people of the planet worked to kill me. As you might have guessed, it was not the native planet of Ori that my mother resided, and so the people feared, my feared arrival chilling their hearts and torturing their minds. So my mother fled into the dark wilderness, and gave birth to me by a lake. Onibeings' memories go back from the time of birth, so out of fear, my mother told me of my heritage and other things while we fled the planet, in case she was killed. Phaedra did not have long to wait."

"At the human age of four, my mother was taken from me by angry mob…I was alone for half a human year after that, and then, one day, a male of the Min'yoo race took me into his care. His name was Lord Pelias, and he taught me many things. I then wandered away from him and his family at the human age of 16 when they were killed by their jealous relatives, traveling around the universe, learning…"

It was on the tip of Piccolo's tongue to ask what she did to deserve Dysodea, but Callistus stood up and stretched.

"I am tired, Namekian," she said, yawning, and turning her back to Piccolo, "Do you wish to stay here?"

Piccolo hesitated. Though her story was perfectly understandable, it still did nothing to shake his earliest impression. There was still _something_ wrong. Something that Callistus hadn't told him. Her eyes flashed at him in the red darkness. The former Demon King suddenly felt that icy feeling again…Less power than the vice, but he could feel it wrapping around his neck, like a noose slowly cutting away at him.

"Well?" he heard Callistus' voice, with a touch of impatience.

"I have no need for sleep," replied Piccolo gruffly, "I'll go."

He turned his back to her, ready to fly off back into the humid redness. The ice feeling had grown stronger, and Piccolo immediately kicked off from the ledge and splashed through the bloody waterfall. As soon as he passed through the warm liquid, he felt his temperature instantly go back to normal. The Namekian paused and looked back a moment at the cave. That desire to reach for her was back again… Piccolo had never felt this way before…for anyone. 

__

Even Sotari… His thoughts hardened. _That's over now…_

"Why do you hesitate?" he heard a creamy voice behind him, an arm around his neck, and the other tugging at his sash.

Annoyed, Piccolo put one hand on the one around his neck, and the other grabbed the one at his sash, releasing himself. He scowled a little at a grinning Callistus.

"What are you doing?"

She only smiled back.

__

"Piccolo," she said sweetly, "It's Hell…We can do…Whatever we want."

To Piccolo's disgust, her arms wound around his neck again.

"…Why not?" she said, her sugary voice aggravating Piccolo.

There was a pause. For a moment, Piccolo wondered…

__

Sotari would never be like this…

"Shove off," replied Piccolo evenly as he put on a sudden spurt of speed, leaving behind a very angry, but not daunted, Callistus.

"I'll _have_ you, son of Piccolo Daimao," she murmured, a Saiyajin-like glint in her eye as the Namekian flew off in the distance, "To the edges of Dysodea, I _will_ hunt you…_Anything_…To make you forget…"

Her eyes gleamed fire, a feeling of hatred swelling in her breast.

__

"…Sotari…"

~

The sounds of the TV reached Trunks' ears as he leaned against the wall of the emergency room.

"Look at that! Mr. Satan is pulling three double-decker buses behind him! Now he's ripping three telephone books! Listen to that crowd roar!" shouted the announcer from the set, "Mr. Satan, do you have anything to say about those twins that have ravaged Pink Town, Blue City, and Red Village?"

"That I'll rip 'em apart, like this!" mimicked Trunks as Mr. Satan yelled his answer into the microphone.

Trunks could hear Kuririn turn off the television. He could see his small, shiny head over the couch as Kuririn called to him: "Hey! How'd you know he'd say that?"

The half-Saiyajin opened up a bright blue eye.

"Nine years from now," he said, folding his arms, "He'll say the very same thing…and get killed."

"Oh," said Kuririn, "Well, he said just it now. Do you think he'll die soon?"

"No," replied Trunks, "This time is too screwed up to be sure when _anybody _will die."

Kuririn settled back in the couch.

"I sometimes wish he'd kick the bucket," he muttered, turning the set back on, "Such a stupid showoff."

Trunks grinned and opened his eyes. However, his thoughts shunned away from the light-hearted matters and turned his back to Kuririn and television. His eyes traced back to the rejuvenation tanks holding Goku and the two captive women. He observed the women's recovered weapons lying on the table nearby.

"Who the hell are they?" he wondered aloud.

"I don't know," replied a voice to his right.

The Saiyajin Prince's son smiled.

"Hello, Kaa-san," he said without looking.

Bulma flipped on the lights.

"What are you doing here in the dark?"

Trunks hesitated.

"Thinking," he finally said.

"About that girl?" said Bulma, now beside her son, "Paiji, wasn't it?"

She crossed her arms and frowned a little bit.

"It figures. I don't think much of _her_, Trunks," she said, "If you want my advice…"

"Advice is a dangerous gift," interrupted Trunks quietly, "Whatever way you wield it, it can lead to anything, whether it be for better or for worse."

Bulma stared at him, seeing his troubled eyes.

"Something wrong?" she asked, a little timidly.

__

He's like both of his parents…

"Pai Pai," said Trunks, "Or Paiji…Pai Pai is my nickname for her. We're best friends, Kaa-san…"

As he said this, Bulma watched him pulled from inside his jacket a piece of faded paper that seemed to be wrapped around something. Trunks silently handed her the paper, and waited just as noiselessly. Bulma's fingers unfolded the paper, delicately, as if the material would crumble in her hands. The yellow paper revealed a sparkling jewel that made Bulma gasp. She held it up to the light.

"Pretty…" she whispered, turning it at an angle, "_Where_ on Earth did you get _this_?"

Pink colored the largest crystal of the jewel, which was the center of other blue crystals of various lengths and sizes jutting out of different angles around the rim of the flat pink crystal.

"I found it after a funeral," said Trunks quietly, looking up at the ceiling, "Piccolo's funeral---He was one of the first to die---It was on the hill where we buried him. I…I gave it to Pai Pai as a gift. Then…"

He choked, but he continued.

"…Her parents, Yamako and Yamcha, were brutally murdered by the jinounzingen. Then there was a battle with the jinounzingen…And…"

Trunks took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

"…It was my fault, Kaa-san…Juuhachi-gou and I were fighting each other, and Pai Pai was fighting one other. Juuhachi-gou fired a massive attack at me…I flew out of the way…It hit Pai Pai, instead…And the other enemy attacked Pai Pai with an attack…"

Bulma patted his shoulder, but Trunks shunned away, not allowing himself to shed tears, even in front of Bulma.

"…I never felt so stupid in my life! Everyone was telling me to forget it, that we could always wish her back. But I wanted Pai Pai to _live_. You understand, Kaa-san…I just couldn't face it. Then Kaa-san---Mirai Bulma---came to me one day about the time machine and I took that chance. I couldn't see Pai Pai dying---no matter if I could wish her back---I couldn't tell her how it was me who killed her…"

He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself, as if the room had suddenly gone cold. Bulma looked at her son, her eyes watering a little.

"My poor baby," she said, hugging her son (which Trunks accepted).

A minute or two passed before Bulma let go. She smiled a little and handed Trunks back the letter.

"Trunks," she said, "Paiji loves you…She shows it, but from what I can tell, she puts Earth's safety before anything else. I think, before anything else happens, you should tell her how you feel. I know it might screw up some things, but at least she'll know… The only thing you're doing now is hurting her, too, and probably thinks that you don't love her."

"But I do…" he protested, but Bulma shushed him.

"Tell her."

Trunks smiled a little.

"Thanks, Kaa-san, I'll…" he started, but he suddenly heard a crash, then a tinkling of glass.

White fingers clenched his throat, and Trunks fought for breath as he tried to attack the person behind him. His eyes widened as he saw a woman with cold eyes hold a sword to his mother's throat.

"Kaa-san!" he shouted, but silenced as he felt the cold blade of another sword against his own throat.

"Hey!" Trunks heard Kuririn shout, but another voice, cold, female, and commanding, "I'll slit her throat."

Kuririn skidded to a stop, his eyes wide with fear.

"D-don't…" he stuttered, but Hidari smirked.

"It's all right, cue ball," she chuckled, "We don't want to kill them just…"

"Oba-chan! Oba-chan (Auntie! Auntie!)!" called out a small voice, followed by the screams of a baby.

A young boy with messy brown hair and cat-shaped pink eyes appeared at the door, holding his squealing baby sister in his little arms.

"Oba-chan, Marissa is…" the little boy suddenly trailed off.

His eyes widened as he saw the glint of the blade next to Bulma's throat. Bulma gave him a shaky smile.

"H-hey, Naomitsu…" she said in a trembling voice, "T-they…"

A glint passed over Hidari's eye as she focused her gaze on Naomitsu.

"Is that Sotari's son," she asked Bulma.

Bulma nodded ever so slightly.

"A-and her d-daughter," she added, "Please don't kill us!"

"How many children are in this house?" Hidari demanded Bulma.

"F-four," stuttered Bulma, "D-don't…"

"…You take another step," said a new voice.

Everyone's eyes shifted to the behind their backs, peering into the light of the third entrance to the emergency room. A figure stood in the light, the face shadowed and unseen, but Bulma and Kuririn knew.

"Yamako!" said Bulma, for once joyful to see the mutant female Saiyajin, "Help us!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Yamako demanded, jerking her chin at Hidari and Shippo, "Are who the fu---"

"Yamako!" Bulma hissed, "there's children here!"

"…"

A giggle escaped Shippo. Yamako threw her a scowl.

"Anyway, who are you?"

"We're Sotari's friends," said Hidari, positioning the sword at Bulma's throat ever more slightly, "I'm Hidari and this is Shippo. We'll just take the children here and go."

Shippo made a step towards Hidari, but a ball of ki skidded by her foot, cracking the floor tile. Yamako grinned, a familiar Saiyajin smirk curling her lips.

"Shinei."

A flaming ball of yellow fire shot from her splayed hands, heading straight at Shippo. The green-eyed girl, however, threw Trunks at the attack. Bulma's shriek could be heard throughout the building as the ball exploded and swallowed Trunks, scorching his body. Yamako's eyes widened, but no words escaped her mouth as a badly burned Trunks fell to the floor, the remnants of the fire dissipating in the air.

"Trunks!" screamed Bulma, and made a move towards her son, but Hidari pushed her backwards.

The woman practically flew towards Trunks, and stood over him, her sword pointed at his throat, and kimono partly covering him. Kuririn suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his fist pulled back. Hidari partially turned her head to him, but a gunshot rang through the air, and Kuririn fell to the floor. Bulma sat up on the floor and nearly screamed again as a scarlet stream filled the cracks in the tiles. Yamako scowled and fired another attack at Hidari, but, using her sword, she sliced it in half. During the distraction, Shippo fired at Yamako, and the Saiyajin crumpled in a heap on the floor. The fresh smell of blood hung in the air like a curtain, and the child witnesses stood silently still.

"Shippo!" Hidari barked at her partner, "Take those two and wait outside!"

The girl nodded and smirked at Bulma on the way out. Naomitsu made no struggle; his sister was starting to cry again. He quietly went outside with Shippo. In the emergency room, Hidari smirked at the bodies lying the floor.

"More funerals, eh?" she chuckled at Bulma as she walked out the door.

"You dirty bitch!" Bulma made a grab for Hidari, but Hidari kicked her chin.

"Whore," replied Hidari evenly as Bulma held her bruised chin, "You should appreciate that you're still alive to bury these people. If you're worried about the children…"

Bulma threw her a nasty look.

"…I wouldn't worry, Bulma-san," continued Hidari, "But I must tell you that you're also alive for another reason: To tell the rest of the Z Senshi to find Sotari and Migino…"

Her eyes glinted.

"I've set a price of their heads. They betrayed us, so they must die for their disloyalty. I'll exchange the children's lives for theirs."

She reached the door, though her eyes were still on Bulma's.

"Don't fail me, Bulma-san."

There was a rustle from her dress, a slam of the door, and Hidari was gone. Bulma immediately got up and practically flew over to Trunks.

"Trunks!" she cried, her fingers flying to his neck for a pulse.

The half-Saiyajin stirred, his face screwing up in great pain.

"I'm…All right, Kaa-san…" he whispered.

"Don't talk," said Bulma, "I'm going to check the others."

A small croaking noise came from Kuririn.

"Are you okay, Kuririn?" Bulma asked, turning around.

"Fine, fine," muttered Kuririn, sitting up and clutching his arm, "Not bad for someone who just got shot in the arm."

Bulma sighed with relief.

"Thank Kami it wasn't your heart," she said, then turning to Yamako, "Yamako? Are you…"

Yamako sat up instantly at the sound of her name, scowling.

"I'm fine! Is (Chibi) Paiji all right? Those damn…"

"Your daughter's safely upstairs sleeping in the baby room with (Chibi) Trunks," Bulma hastily reassured her, "Are _you_ okay?"

The mutant Saiyajin scowled, though it was a look of pain. She sat back on one hand and pointed at a bullet wound buried into her left shoulder.

"Does it look like I'm bloody hell all right!?" she yelled at Bulma, who was too busy turning her attention to the two broken rejuvenation tanks.

"At least they left Goku alone," she murmured, "Guess I'll have to…"

There was the sound of hurried footsteps in the hall, and Mr. and Mrs. Briefs burst into the room.

"Dear God, what happened here!?" Mr. Briefs half-shouted, "We heard gunshots!"

"Are all of you all right?" Mrs. Briefs said, rushing to Bulma, "Bulma?"

"Otou-san," said Bulma, addressing her father, "We have to fix the rejuvenation tanks and treat Yamako and Kuririn for bullet wounds on the arm and shoulder. Mirai Trunks has been burned all over his body. We have to move him to the tank downstairs in the bomb shelter now!"

"Right!" said Mr. Briefs after a short pause, then pulling out a black control box from his lab coat pocket, "I'll get the robots to fix the tanks. Darling (Mrs. Briefs), can you go ahead to the bomb shelter and prepare the tank there? Bulma and I will be there shortly."

Mrs. Briefs nodded and sped away. Mr. Briefs checked on Yamako and Kuririn, then turned to Bulma.

"What happened?"

Bulma told him. When she finished, the six robots had arrived with tools and a board. Carefully, two of them gently moved Trunks onto the board and carried him off the bomb shelter. Mr. Briefs followed, motioning the others to come. Yamako walked out the door, and Kuririn was about to go after them when he saw Bulma move for the other door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, and Bulma turned around.

"I have to go find the others," she said quickly, "I have to tell them about Hidari and Shippo kidnapping the children!"

There was the slightest of pauses before Kuririn gave her a thumbs-up.

"Okay, Bulma," he said, smiling a little, "But hurry!"

~

The cold air whipped his cape and stung his eyes, and the red scenery sped past him like a dream in the night. Piccolo didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. _Anything _to escape Callistus. During those last few minutes with her, a doubting thought was eating at his mind…

__

Sotari wouldn't be like that…

"Damn it," he muttered as he forced himself to accelerate even faster, "Why is she still with me? I _can't_ think of her now…I'm dead. And _she _killed _me_…I should _hate _her!"

Extremely irritated and frustrated, Piccolo came to a sudden halt, and his cape seemed to wrap around him from the momentum and the wind. There was a twitch from Piccolo's hand, and he split into two. The two Piccolos sparred awhile, the clone fighting decently enough, but the original was FURIOUS. It was only a little while before he relented, and his clone was reabsorbed. Breaths came in ragged gasps and wheezes, and Piccolo cast off his heavy cape and turban to ease the great weight on his shoulders. The items dropped like stones down below and eventually disappeared from eyesight altogether. Piccolo shivered. The air seemed to grow frigid, and just as sharp, as ice, though the humid crimson still encircled him.

"Mist," Piccolo murmured to himself, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead.

He flew slowly down to the ground and hovered above the dirt for a moment, sensing for any signs of Callistus---or anyone else for that matter. There didn't seem to be anyone, so Piccolo checked the new setting that now served as his retreat. Piccolo nearly gasped in shock. Compared to the rest of Dysodea, it was thriving: a thick, prickly circle of _holly_ trees, their dark leaves shining brightly and their equally dark ruby berries glowing like bits of light. A deep, seemingly bottomless, pool of _blackish-blue _water that gave a slight scent of pure _freshness_ was on Piccolo's left, and the grass beneath his feet was like that of Earth's, except maybe a little more oily, and a deeper shade of green, but the same, healthy, refresh was there. The Namekian suddenly jerked his head up, and saw that, if his eyes were deceiving him, a patch of sky above was the rich colors of darkest blue and black, the white speckles of stars dotting and lighting up the night almost like a dim daytime.

"What the hell…" Piccolo started to say, but he suddenly felt a presence.

Piccolo instantly whirled around and struck his usual fighting stance, but his eyebrow ridges shot up in confusion and surprise at the sight of the cloaked figure before him.

"Radelas!?"

The figure appeared to shake its head, seeming to smile. A pair of strong human hands appeared from the sleeves of the brown robe and pulled down the hood, revealing a fairly pale-skinned face with deep-set eyes of medium brown. He almost seemed Elvish, but his ears were of a normal human type and he was barefoot, though Piccolo easily deduced there was reason to believe he was part Elf. After all, there was wisdom in his eyes and healing in his hands, as the figure told Piccolo later. Right now, however, all questions were held as a small smile curled the figure's lips, divulging slight amusement.

"No, no," he said cheerfully, wrinkles appearing around his eyes, "That's my _younger_ twin, Piccolo, who resides in the regions of Upper Paradise, among the honored fighters of other worlds and the Supreme Kai. You are much mistaken…I am Tybylas, one of the many guardians of the eight regions of fire and the eight regions of ice in the Hells of the Upper World, and healer."

"How do you know my name?" Piccolo demanded, though there was a great wonder for the part-Elf in his heart.

Tybylas smiled again, the wrinkles around his eyes making him appear older than he was.

"I know a great many souls, Piccolo," he said, "Rare it is when I don't know any of the dead in Hell."

He spread his arms around him, motioning to their surroundings.

"This is my home---for now. It is sad---though I can grow life from the very steps I take, it is always the deathly atmosphere of Hell that kills my creations. Even now, the mist of blood is slowly eating away at my starry sky, and the humidity destroys my barrier of holly trees…but it is pleasant while it lasts…"

The part-Elf made a step away from Piccolo, and new grass sprang from beneath his foot.

"Care to join me for a refreshment?" he asked, "Though dead souls need no nourishment, it is, I think, comforting for them to eat and drink all the same…After all this blood here, it will be for you, no?"

Piccolo gave a grunt. Tybylas smiled at him and walked towards a cottage hidden in the trees that the Former Demon King had not seen before. The latter hesitated a moment, then followed. As the cottage appeared to his view from the shadows, he noted that it was wooden, mostly painted white, with a rectangular entrance without a door. There were two windows without shutters in the front on each side of the door, so one could easily look inside the small house. The first window conveyed a small kitchen, where Tybylas could be seen already seen fixing something. Piccolo's eyes traveled to the second window, which was dark, but the clear outlines of a worktable and a stack of books could be seen. A little grudgingly, Piccolo went into the kitchen to have a drink of water.

"How did you end up in Hell and Radelas in Paradise?" Piccolo asked Tybylas.

"Radelas had first choice," replied Tybylas calmly, "I lost a contest with him."

The Namekian raised an eyebrow, waiting for the explanation, but it didn't come. He sensed that Tybylas was lying a little, though he did nothing to accuse the part-Elf. Instead, Piccolo asked another question.

"Are _you _dead?"

Tybylas threw back his head and laughed.

"No, no, Piccolo, I'm quite alive, I assure you."

"I thought flesh and blood couldn't pass into Hell…"

"There are many portals from other worlds into this one, and I simply took one from Earth."

"Chikyuu (Earth)?"

"Yes…At the bottom of a pool, in fact. I blocked the entrance, though, when I first arrived. There was potential danger that some dangerous soul might escape…"

His eyes glinted, a certain memory coming to the surface.

"…Especially an Onibeing. It's hard enough trying to survive a fight with one in the first place. Imagine the terror one of _them_ could cause…There is one in particular that is always causing me trouble here in Dysodea. It surprises me why King Enma…"

"Was her name Callistus?" Piccolo interrupted.

Tybylas raised an eyebrow.

"You've met?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to consort with _her,_ then, much less fight her. She used to be one of the most feared terrors of a dozen galaxies, though she never managed to reach the one Chikyuu resides in."

"She's tried to tempt me…And I refused."

The brown-eyed healer shook his head.

"She will be thirsting for you."

~

Hidari turned her head and smirked at Naomitsu, who looked away from his captor's face. He had just been told of his mother's origins, and though his small face did not betray any emotion, the boy's grieved heart had sunk deep. A grinning Shippo slapped the lad heartily on the back.

"You'd have to learn sooner or later!" she told him, "Might as well be from us!"

"After all," added Hidari, smiling a little, "We are part of her."

"Makka na uso (A pack of lies)," answered Naomitsu quietly in a Piccolo-like manner, "You aren't _anything_ like my mother…"

A sharp pain came to his cheek, and Naomitsu faltered, but did not fall, as Hidari's slap intended.

"Insolent boy!" she half-shouted, and her partner glared into Naomitsu's eyes, "How dare you accuse…"

Cries were heard in the corner of the dimly lit room. Hidari threw a scowl at baby Marissa struggling to stand up, using the wall as support, her pink eyes illuminating young fury.

"Boy!" she barked at a glaring Naomitsu, "Quiet your sister!"

The boy stood silently, his eyes fixed on Hidari. Angered, Hidari drew her hand back for another slap.

"I said…" she started, but the sound of screaming intercepted.

Hidari jerked her head sideways, tilting her ear slightly towards the tightly shut window. Shippo made a short jump and quickly undid the shutter locks. A strip of light flooded into the room as she opened a shutter and stole a peek outside.

"Hidari," she said, and the older woman came to the window.

Naomitsu softly and silently went to the corner and swept up his sister, his back to the two women. An evil feeling had come into the room, and the small boy knew they would fly. He watched as the two women exchanged whispers as more screaming erupted and tore the room's musty air. The feeling grew stronger, and Naomitsu's keen ears picked up the sound of a laughing raspy cold voice as other falling voices were cut away.

"Onii-san (brother)," said Marissa's voice close to her brother's ear, "What noise?"

Her older brother thought for a fleeting moment whether to tell the baby of the evil he sensed. Even Marissa, as much fighting blood as she had, couldn't understand…She didn't need to. Not now, at such an innocent age…Marissa was only beginning to talk, and could hardly stand up on her own. To know such knowledge would mean she'd have to defend herself, and more than likely be killed before she even has a chance to live. The boy himself, however, did not think such complicated thoughts, despite that being Namekian enabled him to do so. He was too young himself, too, to be exposed like this to blood and danger…Or maybe that was only the human side of him saying that. Naomitsu tightened his hold on his little sister, a remote, childish, _human_ fear growing inside of him.

__

Will we be killed?

"Onii-san," repeated Marissa's small voice, "What noise?"

"It'll be okay, Imooto (little sister)," replied Naomitsu quietly, "It'll be okay…"

There was a violent shove from behind Naomitsu, nearly knocking his head into the wall. He quickly turned around to see a face of mixed fear and anger on Hidari and Shippo's faces.

"Come on!" yelled Shippo, snatching the boy by the shirt and half-dragging him across the room towards the door, "Let's go!"

A series of half-darkened and half-lightened hallways and rooms flashed before Naomitsu's eyes as he struggled to keep up with the ever-quickening pace of Hidari and Shippo. It seemed like only a moment later when they were passing through the doorway into the bright sunlight. Naomitsu blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness, but he felt another shove from behind from Shippo.

"Move it!" she ordered, but she jerked her up towards the street.

Wordlessly, Hidari and Shippo drew their swords, poised. The street of Ginger Town seemed empty and strangely dusty. A wind whistled by the small group, carrying an old newspaper and scraps of paper down the street in its arms. Hidari tensed, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Shippo gripped her sword with one hand and the other rested on the gun in the holster. Naomitsu needed no telling to stay quiet, and Marissa made no noise either. It was a tense moment for them all. There was a sudden, faint noise, a flash of color, and Hidari leapt forward with a cry and swung. Her sword sliced through clean air, making an even softer sound than rustling leaves. The woman leapt back towards Shippo, breathing hard.

"Shit," she muttered.

Shippo stifled a giggle at Hidari's foolishness. What Hidari had attacked just now was a red shirt caught in the wind. It now lay in shreds on the concrete, and the wind picked the fragments up again.

"What the hell is a shirt doing here?" Hidari murmured to Shippo, catching one of the red scraps in her hand, "It looks new."

__

"Did," corrected Shippo, relaxing a little bit and leaning over her partner's shoulder, "So what's your point?"

"That screaming we heard," continued Hidari, "He was absorbing people…"

The younger cohort fell silent.

"He'll be after us," said Hidari.

Naomitsu's sensitive ears twitched suddenly and the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. A creeping evil was behind them, and Naomitsu could feel its---his---presence. He whirled around and tightened his grip on Marissa as his matching eyes met for the first time with Cell's own. Imperfect Cell smirked at the small boy as the shocked gasps of Hidari and Shippo reached their ears.

"Sotari's children…" he said, his voice holding amusement, "And Piccolo's blood…"

"You're Cell," stated Naomitsu plainly and full of resent, "They told me…"

"A smart boy," interrupted Cell, now focusing his attention on Hidari and Shippo, "He knew I was here…"

"Prepare to die, creature," snarled Hidari, stepping forward.

Shippo went beside her, and Naomitsu ran towards a tree next to the very building he and Marissa were held captive. He crouched behind the thick trunk and held Marissa close. Almost immediately, screams pierced the air once more, and Naomitsu closed his eyes to try and shut out the dreadful noise. His ears told him of a sucking noise, then laughter… It clung to the dry air for a moment, then there were footsteps towards the tree. The small boy had an incredibly silly notion that it would turn around and leave him and his sister alone. However, he heard breathing high above him, and he looked up straight into Cell's laughing eyes with an expression of child hatred. Cell laughed and licked his lips.

"Tasty girls…" he said to Naomitsu, "I can't wait for your mother…Now come with me."

The boy shook his head and held onto his sister. Imperfect Cell couldn't help but chuckle.

"I won't harm either or you…As long as your mother is willing."

"You'll never have my mother, _Cell_," replied Naomitsu, sounding the name with distaste, "She's too strong…"

"But I am her _mate_, boy, and I was _always_ stronger…Stronger even than Goku."

At this, he grabbed the back of the boy's shirt and lifted him and Marissa in the air.

"Now, either die or come with me and live."

Naomitsu stole a look at his sister, whose eyes were tearful, but very determined for so young. He looked back at Cell.

"Okay."

~

Bulma's fist nearly crushed part of the plastic of the airplane's thin dashboard as she raced against the winds of the sky to find at least one of the two groups of Z Senshi. Her teeth clenched, knuckles white, and her eyes brightly lit with the fires of determination, the brilliant woman scientist released one of her hands to form and smash a fist against the dashboard (again).

"Damn!" she cursed, beads of perspiration appearing on the side of her face, "Can't this airplane go any faster!?"

She checked the controls. The dials and arrows indicated the maximum speed that one could have with the most minimum risk of injury (and whatever things that could go wrong in airplanes). Bulma was _not _pleased.

"To hell with safety!" she shouted and released the safety switch.

Two minutes later, Bulma regretted her reckless move, which resulted not only in the plane going faster, but also in losing the left wing by Bulma steering the plane a mite too close to a tree. As the plane spun in rapid and stomach-wrenching circles, Bulma prepared for emergency ejection. She shouldn't have worried, though. The dizzying vision of a mountain in front of her would most assuredly kill her and smash the plane to hurling, flaming pieces. Bulma gasped, but it was already too late and too futile to even try and steer the plane away. She attempted to go up anyway.

"Fu---!" she started to say, but shut her mouth as the plane continued to spin and her stomach threatening to lose its contents.

However, in her mind, Bulma's mind was busily still calm and ticking away thoughts by the half-seconds. Should she risk ejection? No, she might end up going upside-down and smash headfirst into the dirt. Or maybe eject to the right into another mountain, or left in another downwards spiral into the large river nearby. The only was up, but even that was hopeless, because there was no telling what might even happen up in the air. But Bulma's time was running out as the mountain seemed to grow bigger and more menacing than when it first appeared. Finally, the brilliant woman scientist decided upon ejection. There were no other options, and somehow or another, she'd have to try and keep her body upright and well away from mountains, trees, etc. to prevent injury. Her thumb felt the handy red button and pressed down hard.

"Nani!?"

Nothing had happened. Then, there was a sudden halt, and Bulma snapped forward and hit her forehead on the dashboard, and lurched back into her cushioned seat. Almost instantly there was pain from her forehead, and Bulma's fingers gently felt the wound. A small cut, but nothing serious. She stole a look out the window and saw a familiar face with a look of annoyance.

"Vegeta!" she cried happily, undoing her seat belt.

Bulma kicked open the door on the other side of the plane and waved at her husband, having never been so relieved to see him in her whole life. Vegeta smirked at her and suddenly let go of the plane. Utterly shocked, Bulma was silent for a split second as the plane started to plunge towards the ground. She finally let out a scream and leapt out, not even bothering to put on a parachute out of sheer panic.

"VEGETA!!!" she yelled before Vegeta so conveniently caught her.

"Onna," said Vegeta, smirking wider than ever as Bulma threw her arms around his neck, "It's…"

*Slap!*

Vegeta's head jerked slightly to his left, the right side of his face burning pink. Bulma was livid.

"Vegeta, you dumb…"

"Bulma!" called another voice.

"Gohan!?"

Distracted, Bulma turned her head. Only four feet away, Gohan was grinning and waving at her.

"Good thing we found you before you crashed," said Gohan, flying a little nearer, "We were just flying to Red Village."

"Never mind that!" said Bulma, "Hidari and Shippo---Sotari's friends---broke free!"

"Is Tou-san all right?" Gohan asked, his concerned black eyes gazing hopefully into Bulma's own blue ones.

"He's fine, but they've kidnapped the children!"

"Trunks!?" Vegeta half-yelled, but suddenly clamped his mouth shut.

His unexpected outburst puzzled Bulma and Gohan, but Bulma moved on to tell them of what happened to them at Capsule Corp.

"Marissa and Naomitsu!" Gohan exclaimed when Bulma finished, "We…Pen!"

The redhead with blue sunglasses showed up behind the trio, his usually cheerful face replaced with dark foreboding.

"What happened?" he asked, but continued without question, "I just got a message from the other group: They've found Sotari!"

Bulma's face was grim.

"Her children are gone, too."

"What does that mean?" 

Pen's face grew even stormier.

"Sotari and Migino (Sotari's other friend, Pen) seemed to have a falling out or something with Hidari and Shippo (More friends, Pen), so they've taken Sotari's children and are holding them for ransom!" explained Bulma quickly.

"What do they want?" Pen asked.

"Sotari and Migino," answered Gohan.

Pen thought for a fleeting second, but Vegeta already spoke his thought.

"We'd have all of them in the same place if we capture Sotari and Migino, so we can destroy them!"

The others nodded.

"Are Paiji and Denno already fighting Sotari and Migino?" Bulma asked.

"No; only on watch. They found them near a time machine."

"What!? A time machine!?"

"That can't be!" said Gohan, "Trunks said that they've only got two…Is that the…"

"No, I don't think it's one of ours," replied Pen, "But we'll figure it out later. Let's just go and…"

"I think," said Bulma, nodding towards bursts of energy in the distance, "It's already started."

"Come on!" said Pen, flying ahead of them.

Gohan started after him, but he looked back at Bulma and Vegeta.

"Should I take her home for you, Vegeta?" Gohan asked and Vegeta scowled.

"Yes!"

Bulma gave one of her dirty looks at Vegeta.

"Fine! You don't even care about your own wife!"

Vegeta's face was twitching.

"Stupid Onna."

"Dumb…"

Gohan hovered and watched with uncertainty as the insults went back and forth.

"Bulma, if you want to go home," Gohan spoke aloud, "You'll have to…"

Bulma threw one last glare at Vegeta before she dug in her pocket to pull out a small, round capsule.

"I'll just fly home, Gohan," she said.

There was puff of smoke, and a hovering helicopter appeared. Without another look at Vegeta (or Gohan for that matter), Bulma leapt into the machine and took off as quickly as she could.

~

Piccolo slowly opened an eye, interrupting his meditation for the third time in the past ten minutes. He was outside with his back to the house in a hovering lotus position, some distance away from the right window of Tybylas' small house. Though Tybylas himself virtually made almost no noise, the sounds of shuffling and moving of books and furniture from the second room annoyed Piccolo. Despite past experiences of meditating during such nuisances, Piccolo felt especially irked. He was condemned in Hell, a deadly Onibeing was hunting him, and had just tasted what he considered one of the worst human foods ever to have been created. All he wanted was some peace!

"Is it too much to ask," he said slowly in a loud voice (trying to keep his temper in check), "That you be quiet for a few hours?"

Tybylas stood by the window of the room, holding a few, thick, and dusty books in his hands. His eyes could be seen in the dimness, though his grim look couldn't.

"Do you know of the evil things passing through?" he asked Piccolo.

The Namekian did not turn around and nor did he answer. Tybylas continued, as if Piccolo had answered.

"Your wife…"

__

"She is not my wife," Piccolo interrupted, his voice full of bitterness.

"…Your mate, then. She and her counterpart are in danger, as well as the Earth itself…"

"I already know of the jinounzingen, Elf," cut in the Namekian again.

"…This is a new danger, Piccolo. He has been residing in the secrets of the old enemy for many years. That time has now passed and too quickly, for it has already killed many…Feasting on their flesh and blood, relishing their life force for his own growth and power. He has only purpose and it is to kill…To kill not only this world, but the next, until the universe would only exist as a dark, empty waste of space. But his power still lacks, though he is not far from the very sources that fuel the very core of his power…The jinounzingen…"

He paused, wondering for a moment whether Piccolo was even listening.

"…And Sotari."

Piccolo responded with an annoyed grunt.

"Why are you wasting your breath, Elf," he said, "The world was doomed to end anyway."

Tybylas snorted angrily. Curious at the noise, Piccolo's eyes shifted back to Tybylas. The part-elf had swung over the ledge of the window, carrying a heavy book under his arm. He marched straight up to Piccolo and slammed the book on…the air? Piccolo's eyes widened in astonishment. The book itself was floating, but it still made the same noise as it would if being dropped on a desk. Tybylas paid no attention to the Namekian's surprise and flipped through the faded pages of the maroon-shaded book. 

As he rapidly passed the notes and words of magic and history, Piccolo noticed vividly colored pictures of dragons, kurins, and other magical creatures that curled, crawled, and fought each other across each page over, under, below, and around words of ancient script. Most was a language Piccolo hadn't ever seen in writing nor heard in speech. All was written in bright, fine ink, the first letters decorated with careful strokes. It seemed as if he was held in a trance by the finery of age-old works. Finally, Tybylas stopped at a page and jabbed his finger at a line (which Piccolo couldn't help but notice) and read aloud.

__

"In damaged stars could truth be told

Of a warlord's son 

Of Namek bold…"

He skipped a long passage and turned the page to read the next one.

__

"With blood-red hands 

He was cast out 

But left the shadow of doubt..."

The dark eyes of Tybylas flashed momentarily as he read on.

__

"Bound by darkness and blind to see

To the Lord who scorns all pity:

'When blood of weak meets blood of strong

Reap the whirlwind you have sown,

Beware the lighting summer mark

Of one what you have little known.

Take the roads devoid of straight

Open wide the Dark Forest Gate,

There, the Flower waits

One day to seal your fate'."

There was a long silence as Piccolo had studied the illustrations in the book accompanying the verses. Outlined with fine black lines was the elegant image of a dancing woman in ragged clothes, whose eyes was closed and delicate hands and small mouth were playing a wooden instrument. The musical thing seemed to be cracked, though, which made broken notes float across the page and some drifted into the sky. A dark figure with lighting eyes was watching her, lustful. They were in the midst of a lonely black forest, and the barefoot woman seemed to be totally unaware of the figure behind her, even though a hand took hold part of the end of her flowing golden hair. Implanted on her right hand was a pink pearl, her left a purple one, a green one on her exposed navel, and two ice blue ones on each of her ankles. 

Ominous red and foreboding black mountains were in the distance, where Piccolo could make out an open gate of dark blue and shining silver lines in the middle of one particularly large mountain. Its contents revealed a single flower, like that of a cherry blossom, only its pollen was of a glowing gold. A tiny, but hungry-looking tiger was seen darkly perching by the gates. Piccolo's eyes moved the sky, which was a glittering, brilliant blue with equally sparkling stars. Among these stars were flying mysterious and spell binding creatures that a few Piccolo did know of.

There was the brilliant kurin, gold and red, dancing on his goat legs across the sky, with flaming scarlet books following its trail. A large black dog gently pawed a star and chewed a chesnut while a fearsome kappa charged angrily at bird with a dragon tail and wings. These were the most prominent of the creatures, while the rest seemed dim and small in the shadows of stars. There was, however, one that seemed larger than all the other animals, but much further away from them. It was an emerald dragon, fitfully blowing shooting stars down towards the forest, but its obsidian eyes resting on the woman, as if fearing for her life and the danger of the mysterious figure. A single pearl shone on its forehead like the most dazzling of stars (the kurin seemed to be drawn towards it) and one of the broken musical notes from the woman was clutched tightly in one of the dragon's claws.

"Well?" Tybylas finally spoke up, breaking the silence, "What do you think?"

Piccolo looked at him, a confused light replacing the previously annoyed one in his black eyes.

"What," he said, stealing another glance at the picture, "Does this mean?"

Tybylas took a deep breath and pointed at the woman.

"I think you would know, Piccolo…This is your wife."

For once, Piccolo did not show any resentment at the term. Tybylas highly suspected a great tangle of deceit on the Namekian's part. A great liar, as Piccolo tried to pride himself to be, but there was too much curtness and hardness in his manner for him to be a good liar. There were no illusions clouding Tybylas' judgements of the Namekian now. The Namekian was a fairly often liar, using the easiest lies for the survival of his so-called dignity. It was a child's weapon…yet it found a very likely character to use such simple methods. 

__

Perhaps… Tybylas thought, watching Piccolo's face carefully, _It is what brought Sotari and Piccolo together…To be at hand to prop up those weak places in their lies. Everyone has their weak places, and all of them require different people to help them…_

"What is this?" the Elf heard Piccolo's voice asking him.

"It is in this picture drawn by my Elvish ancestors, prophesizing the start of the destruction of the universe," Tybylas replied, "The One has been born, and He will stop at nothing…"

"I know," interrupted Piccolo quietly, bowing his head, "I know…His name is Cell. I already know why he is after Sotari."

Despite the situation, Tybylas smiled a little and put his hand on Piccolo's shoulder.

"It seems," he said, "that Kami has indeed proven King Enma wrong about you."

The Namekian lifted his head, his eyes holding a flicker of hope. The wall of deception had crumbled, and Piccolo's 'pride' was at its most vulnerable. Tybylas had seized the chance well.

"How can I help them? I am dead…Trapped in Dysodea. It might take years for me to make up for what I have done."

"Do not despair, Piccolo…I have a plan. There is a chance…"

The hopeful flicker turned serious.

"…But it will require the greatest and innermost courage that you can only muster in times of need. This task holds within itself a way out of death, but it will eat you away, over and over, and delight in your constant pain if you fail."

Piccolo's face fell a little, but he braced himself.

"What do I have to do?"

A breeze stirred the pages of the book, turning it to the next page and the next. The first page was the dark gate, enlarged and more real and evil than anything Piccolo had ever seen in the pages of a book. Seemingly enormous doors with silver lines allocated the sight of a hall of endless ice. Piccolo peered at the page, and discovered little shapes within the crystals that jutted from the ceilings and rose out of the floor. The end of the hall was a single ice column with another dark shape in it, holding in its grasp the cherry blossom with golden pollen. There was also another shape blocking part of the column and the trapped figure, but the drawing of the tiger crouching at the foot of at the main entrance prevented him from seeing more.

Another page revealed a translated rhyme in the slanted language of Namekian, which Piccolo read, but Tybylas did not speak.

__

Of Fireshine and Fireshade the Flower glows

Meant for love and peace it grows

Trapped in hands of blood and evil

Awaiting a heart of pure and steel

To steady whirlwind, steal, and defy

In the Hall of Ice where shadows lie

"Your food of life lies in the Hall of Ice," said Tybylas, his finger tracing the illustration, "It is the sacred Flower that you seek. Those who eat the blossom will gain life…"

Piccolo nodded.

"I understand."

Tybylas looked at him.

"I can give you nothing to help you on this journey into the deepest Hell…I am limited to Dysodea, and there is no telling what will and can happen…Especially when you are within the Hall of Ice itself."

He flipped a few more pages and gazed at the worn penmanship.

"The only route available to the Hall of Ice is through the dark forest, which is empty of life, but is nevertheless very treacherous (You can't fly there, by the way). When you arrive to the Hall of Ice, you must not, any conditions whatsoever, melt the ice that traps the souls there. They might very well throw you into their prison and escape. Then there is nothing you'll be able to do. The only prison you should melt is the one at the very end of the Hall, which is guarded by the thousand-eyed monster Argus. However, there is grave danger if you manage to defeat Argus and melt the column. There within it lies a damned soul more evil than your father could've ever been…"

"Yet," said Piccolo, staring at the Flower, "He holds the Flower of Life."

"My books say no real reason why he holds the very thing he took away from others," replied Tybylas, "One of the most widely known stories is that of the demon's encounter of Semele, a princess of the Girisha race. The demon had many consorts before Semele, and among them was one jealous enough to convince Semele to ask her lover to show himself in his fullest and most powerful form. The demon was more than happy to, but his evil energy burned poor Semele to a cinder, but from her ashes sprung the Flower of Life. However, as soon as his hands touched the blossom, he was struck dead by the jealous lover and was condemned."

Piccolo shook his head.

"Enough of stories," he said, standing up from his lotus position, "I have to go, Tybylas."

"Remember, it is south (or down wards, as the case of Hell is) that you must travel," said Tybylas, pointing southwards, "and beware of Argus!"

He paused a moment and lowered his hand.

"Only Fate knows if you'll succeed."

"Which I will," replied Piccolo, turning his back on Tybylas, "…And…Thanks."

Tybylas smiled a little.

"Kami softens you, Piccolo…"

"One question," said Piccolo quickly, "What _has_ happened to Kami?"

"His spirit follows you, and awaits fusion when you return to Earth."

The Namekian grunted, showing the air of the old Piccolo surfacing a moment. 

"Just like the old man…"

He hovered in the air for a moment before speeding off.

~

Cell closed the door of the cottage behind, grinning insanely as he heard his son kick his mate's son into a corner. He smiled even wider as he heard Cell Jr.'s insults. More kicking. Imperfect Cell rose in the air and flew over the deserted city, feeling the hidden presence of Juuhachi-gou and Juuanna-gou, the staples to perfection. The creature felt a desire rise in him as he thought of Juuhachi-gou's beauty…Of course, Juuanna-gou was a handsome boy, but his older twin was _much_ more appealing. 

__

…So sweet…

He licked his lips, remembering his other target. Memories flew past him of Sotari, those fiery eyes blazing with hatred at him, floating and scowling in the tank across from his own. Those tubes and needles attached to her beautiful body…A quiver rippled throughout Cell. 

__

That body…

There was the lustful longing to bite those hard nipples and runs his hands over her smooth, pale skin. To invade her luscious mouth and hear in pleasure her desperate screams…To nip at that slender neck of hers and to plunge himself deep into her ultimate treasures… Just thinking about it drove Cell near to madness as he forced himself to calm down and go faster in his search. But the throbbing did not cease, and it grew harder and faster as Cell's snake-like eyes skimmed over the empty streets and buildings, sensing out Juuhachi-gou and Juuanna-gou. He suddenly halted, turning his head to his left. There was movement in the distance, he thought, near the airport. His tuned his fine hearing, listening…

__

"Where do you want to go now, Onae-chan? This town was boring…"

"We should just find Goku and get it over with, Juuanna-gou."

"Onae-chan!"

With a self-satisfying smirk, Cell speedily made his way there, and silently hovered near the control tower to observe the twins below without them noticing him. They seemed to be arguing, and Cell smiled again.

__

Perfect.

He flew down and ran with soft footsteps from hiding place to hiding place, taking care to only run when they weren't looking in his direction. Juuhachi-gou suddenly jerked her head from her brother and tilted her head. Juuanna-gou also stopped.

"What is it?" he asked in a bored voice, tiring of them standing there.

His twin's eyes narrowed with deep suspicion at the airplane behind them.

"Something is here," she said.

Juuanna-gou chuckled.

"Probably nothing," he said, waving a hand at Juuhachi-gou (who wasn't paying attention to him), "We shouldn't be standing here, Onae-chan…This town's deserted."

"Yes…" replied Juuhachi-gou absently, stilling watching the plane, "We shouldn't be here…"

Her younger twin rose and hovered in the air, waiting.

"Well?" he asked her, "What are you waiting for?"

Juuhachi-gou didn't move. Suddenly, there was a green blur, and the sound of ripping. Juuanna-gou backed in surprise as he watched his sister stumble backwards, her pale hand covering slashed clothes and clean lacerations. His eyes turned to their attacker and they widened. The creature before them could almost be laughable, except that he just clawed Juuhachi-gou below her solar plexus. Before Juuanna-gou could react, he felt the creature grab hold of his thin shoulders and lick the side of his face. Disgusted (and seriously disturbed), Juuanna-gou made a kick at him, but the creature only laughed. In the backround, Juuhachi-gou was on the ground, breathing hard, and trying to stop the sudden rush of blood spurting from the cuts. It was all she could do and watch her brother with wide and fearful ice-blue eyes.

"Juuanna-gou," said the creature, "…I…"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!!" Juuanna-gou screamed at him (still sickened).

The creature laughed again.

"I," he said, "Am Cell."

"Fuck you!"

The defiant android tried a head butt, but an extreme pain pierced into his back like a poisoned arrow. He screamed in agony as he felt some of his blood was sucked into Cell's tail. Enraged, Juuhachi-gou staggered up on one knee and fired a ki ball at Cell's head. Cell not only noticed this, but he also swung his tail at Juuhachi-gou, knocking her to the ground and the ki ball away from him. She landed hard on the concrete, and pain rippled through her body and her brain as she felt her head collide into the corner of something sharp. 

A warm sensation came from her head and stained the gray ground. Juuhachi-gou fought to keep consciousness, forcing her eyes open to witness the full horror of Cell swallow her brother whole by that horrible tail. His struggling form could still be seen punching and kicking as it slid through inside the narrow passage. Cell's laughter intermingled with Juuanna-gou's muffled yells and screams as Juuhachi-gou let her head fall back to the concrete, trying to resist the welcome blackness to cover her eyes. In her half-conscious dimness, her senses caught hot-white energy radiated from Cell…Juuanna-gou's energy.

"Otooto (little brother)…"

She heard his heavy footsteps trod the ground towards her limp and bleeding form. Her senses felt him kneeling beside her and a hand lying between her breasts. The touch felt alien to her, sending an evil chill through her. His hand ran up partially over her left breast, her shoulder and finally rested on the back of her neck. He knelt down closer, using his other hand to lift her partly off the ground and the fingers of his right hand to support her head. Juuhachi-gou saw a face swim into view distorted and notably ugly. The eyes were ice blue like hers and her brothers, his face like a square, lips were large and thick, and a half-formed nose.

"Juuhachi-gou…" he whispered to her, his voice lustful and deep (unlike the raspy one of before), "You…Are so _beautiful_."

Juuhachi-gou, with half-closed eyes, found her own lips forming her brother's last words.

"Fuck you…"

Cell could only chuckle at this weak display of stubbornness, and he leaned in to deliver a very wet and tongue-tangling kiss. Juuhachi-gou was instantly repulsed at the touch of his tongue against hers and struggled, but felt a sharp pinprick penetrate deep in her side as Cell pulled away from her.

"Do not fight against me," he commanded, withdrawing his tail, the siphon tip tinged of blood.

He pulled her closer to him against his body, setting her chin resting on his shoulder. Dizzy and helpless, Juuhachi-gou limply leaned against him as his hands roughly massaged her smooth back. Fortunately for her, though, Cell did not go any further than this. Instead, he slide her onto his shoulder, stood up, and flew off back to the cottage. Juuhachi-gou did not question his reason. It was obvious: he had sensed the Z Senshi. Through her dim vision, Juuhachi-gou herself could plainly see the various ki blasts bursting in the air.

__

Why doesn't he absorb me? She thought vaguely as Cell landed on the wooden porch with a heavy thump.

She heard him kick open the door and the click of heels as Cell addressed someone in the one-room house.

"Jr.," said Cell curtly, "I'll take the children. Guard her…I'll be back."

Juuhachi-gou felt herself being thrown quite unceremoniously into someone else's arms, which felt rather skinny. Her head jerked back to catch the imperfect Cell Jr.'s eyes, mirrors of his father's previous form. The android wanted more than anything to smash his face, but the dull, pounding feeling in the back of her head made her groan. So she swung her head sideways, capturing the sight of two pairs of frightened pink eyes. She felt her heels drag on the floor, heard her blood dripping on the floor, and then felt her body being dumped rudely on a makeshift bed. There was the sound of children's gasps, followed by another door slam. Juuhachi-gou could only stare up at the ceiling and groan as another warm gush came from her head and stained the gray-colored pillowcase. 

**__**

Damn him…

The faint smell of blood hung in the air about her like a curtain, and Juuhachi-gou's blood stained hand felt the scratches over her solar plexus. Despite the pain, she smiled lightly. Already ten minutes within her capture and her skin was already repairing itself. It was too bad she couldn't cleanse the wound; it'd help the regeneration faster. She turned her head to her right, smiling a little wider. Cell Jr. had his back to her, staring out the window.

__

Soon…

~

His feet flew lightly from rock to rock, hardly touching them at all. The red-blood river shone like a mirror, reflecting the mimicking images of Piccolo as he leapt from the last stepping stone onto the rocky shore. He paused at the other end, loosening his cape. Though cold red mist rose from the river and shrouded its shores, he felt hot. It was probably the dark magic keeping the heat of Dysodea here even in this cold forest, where nothing lived and nothing died. Nevertheless, Piccolo could feel icy blackness surrounding him, biting his skin, clinging to his clothes, filling his eyes, ears, and mouth, and threatening every unprotected second. 

The images of the dancing woman and the dragon danced in his head as he rapidly picked up his pace again. It wasn't until he departed from Tybylas did he realize what those pictures and rhymes meant. He could almost called himself stupid for not seeing that the dragon was himself in the first place, but he blamed his ignorance on the apple turnover.

"Nastiest thing I've ever tasted," Piccolo muttered as he clambered over a large boulder, "I should've seen that the kurin was Goku, the black dog was Kuririn, the kappa was Vegeta, and Bulma was the Basilisk."

He thought of the other creatures, but it still wasn't clear what was what, so he couldn't tell who was who. Still, it amused and occupied his mind of who might've been what as the long journey progressed. Yamcha would've been a fish: weak, meek, easily frightened, and just as easily caught. Yamako was a fleeting hare: sharp-eyed and swift. Gohan, Piccolo thought, was the red-crowned crane: simple, friendly, and the model of courage, strength, and justice. 

There were also other things in that picture…Like the instrument Sotari/the woman played. Probably him again, he supposed (a piccolo!). Broken music notes meant broken love or something like that. And he/the dragon clung onto one of them, like he himself still held onto thoughts of her. The pearls dotting Sotari's body were the androids, perhaps emphasizing the fact that they all came from the same creator and therefore linked to Sotari. And the figure grabbing her hair was Cell, hiding himself away from her until it was time to absorb her, but he still held onto the fact that they were destined mates. The blue sky was the universe, its stars were the souls, and shooting stars were probably Dragon Balls or some other symbolic things that meant hope.

__

And the rhyme… Piccolo thought, throwing a rock in a lake to test for anything, _A whirlwind?_

More than likely it represented the trouble he caused.

__

"Beware the lighting summer mark

Of one what you have little known"…

That could mean anyone he didn't really know: Callistus, Cell, maybe Sotari…None of them had anything close to 'the lighting summer mark' though. 

"Maybe it means all of them."

He paused a moment, catching his breath. It was now finally beginning to get cold, enough for him to see his breath materialize in small clouds in front of him. Piccolo took a quick inspection of the land around him. Still forest, but the trees seemed to be thinning. His spirits rose; he had begun to tire of seeing endless trees. However, the moment swiftly passed as Piccolo's muscles tensed, sensing the icy presence of black energy.

"Ice," he said aloud, knowing he wasn't far from his goal.

Piccolo promptly took up his run again, but faster; the urge for life was racing through his veins. The thick gray bark of the trees seemed to slant into a leaning silver blur, their dark sea-green tops merging like the restless sea of night. His eyes stole a glance of the ground below his feet. From the smooth, white pebbles and the flat wet stepping stones of the north came and replaced by dirty gray boulders and jagged slabs protruding from the soil like graves. Some even had ancient runes carved into them, but Piccolo did not stop to read or even study them; time seemed to be running thin, and the Former Demon King still had much to do ahead of him.

A blast of ice wind blew abruptly in his face, causing him to halt again. The chill whipped all around him, and Piccolo shielded his eyes, trying to see ahead. His eyes widened slightly; he had reached his goal. He had come to the very edge of the forest, the ground of grass and dirt giving way to the hard, blue-colored stone of mountains. The mountains themselves towered over him, the black, starless sky eating at their steep uneven tops. Fortunately for Piccolo, he did not even have to strain his eyes to see where the Dark Forest Gate was. He hurriedly went forward to see.

The gate was clearly cut into the rock of the very first mountain in front of him, the design outlined by fitfully twinkling silver lines that sparkled like weakly shining stars. There were trees carved artfully on each door, holding dozens of tiny stars in their branches. The mountains were also depicted in the stone, proud and regal, and yet so terrifying, just beyond the two starry trees. In the very heart of the picture, though, was a large depiction of a thousand-eyed monster with eight tentacles, wielding an axe, a sword, and a spear in three of six hands. Well above the monster's head and far below the feet, along the rounded arch and along the bottom of the doors, was a running, flowing script of ancient language interlacing with added decorations. It was plainly an Elvish/Elfish character; Piccolo knew enough from Kami's books to distinguish it, though he still couldn't read it. If he could, then it would've read:

__

Prison of the Damned and of the Weak

It is not this Hell you'd do to seek

Ice of Shadows and of Guilt

Sins of worlds that have been spilt

Be forever here in frozen souls

And dwell in sleep as the death bell tolls

Piccolo studied the monster a moment, contemplating weaknesses. Suddenly, a cold, familiar chill struck him, its well-known grasp slid onto his shoulder and over. An icy breath washed over him, and Piccolo tensed, the image of the crouching tiger coming to mind.

"Hello, Callistus."

~

Trunks' eyes snapped open, his mind immediately shrouded in thick confusion at the blurry bluish figures moving in front of him. As his vision cleared, he realized his situation, and started pounding the thick glass of the rejuvenation tank he was in. The message was as clear and concise as shouting: "I'm alive! Let me out!" An elderly figure, which he guessed was his grandfather, quickly moved over to some controls, and the DNA water started to drain. Before his mind caught on, Trunks saw his hand taking a life of its own; ripping off the oxygen mask from his face as the tank's door, in his opinion, painstakingly and slowly opened. At the first flash of a familiar face (which was Kuririn's), he reached out and snatched the owner's collar, asking: "Where's Okaa-san (Bulma)?"

"Out," replied Kuririn shortly, lest Trunks may start shaking him, "Let go, man!"

The other obeyed and leapt out of the tank, wildly looking for his sword. He cared not that he was stark naked, or that Mrs. Briefs and Yamako were also in the room. All he wanted was…Mr. Briefs cleared his throat and handed Trunks some Saiyajin armor and clothes. Yamako shook her head in amusement and Mrs. Briefs stifled a giggle and a gasp while it first dawned on Trunks of his state. Blushing crimson, he promptly retreated to the other side of the rejuvenation machine to put on his new clothes. Kuririn joined him and informed him of the kidnapping and Bulma's earlier departure.

"What time?" Trunks asked, pulling the armor over his head.

"Almost ten minutes…You Saiyajins heal fast, don't you?"

Trunks smiled lightly.

"Yeah. Where's my sword?"

He didn't wait for answer and rushed past his short friend towards a table, his hand outstretched. As he wiped his sleeve on its blade for dust, his eyes caught the sparkle of the jewel lying atop his folded pile of burnt clothes. Trunks snatched it and tucked it in his glove. Out of the corner of his eye, he could sense Yamako's mocking smile.

"Who's it from?" she teased, "Some girlfriend of yours?"

Trunks could feel himself blushing again.

"Yeah," he responded curtly, grabbing his sword and heading out towards the exit.

The half-Saiyajin nearly smacked right into Bulma.

"Trunks!" she cried, her face relieved, yet her tone was urgent, "We've found Sotari!"

"What!?" Kuririn's voice called out in the back round.

Her son took a pause, hardening his face as he heard Yamako's hurrying footsteps pass him, only halting for Bulma's answer as he gazed into her eyes.

"Where?"

Bulma started up the stairs, and Trunks followed.

"I have to show you," she said, heading outside.

She motioned to the plane parked in the yard, but Trunks shook his head.

"It'd be faster if I carry you."

His mother reflected briefly, but Trunks had already swept her off her feet and was shooting upwards, Yamako with them. Bulma shot a glance at Yamako's bandaged shoulder.

"Stay home!" she commanded, as if Yamako was some hopelessly devoted puppy.

The Saiyajin female scowled.

"I'm no dog," she snapped, "And I'm fine! I can fight as well…"

A strong hand clamped heavily on her shoulder, and Yamako's head jerked to her side. Her big, deep sea-colored eyes met with twinkling black ones, and Goku smiled.

"Go home, Mako-chan," he told her, using his pet names for her, "Can't let little sister get hurt again, can I? Or your girl, (Chibi) Paiji, eh?"

Despite her urge to correct him for the term 'little sister', Yamako bit her lower lip and smiled a little. Sure, she said, anything for Goku. She sweetly flew back, and her yellow fighting dress could still clearly be seen even in the far distance, when Bulma and Trunks had thoroughly filled Goku in on the recent events. He angrily gripped his fists at the news of the kidnapping. 

"They took the children! How could they, they're…"

Bulma cocked an eyebrow, slightly surprised, though it shouldn't have been any surprise that he'd be so tender hearted about children. Still, they were Sotari's children…The blue-haired woman bit her lip, wondering. Yes, Marissa and Naomitsu were young enough to be watched over with such protection, but even at such tender ages, the mixed blood of Saiyajin and Namekian was clearly showing, their innocence and their childish habits shedding away. Even Naomitsu, being only two years old, had the body of a six-year-old and an even more advanced mindset, his fighting level rising rapidly unlike anything. The only scrap of _real_ human blood in him, in Bulma's opinion, were his features, not including the eyes…Those were android. Because of these things, Bulma doubted for once Goku's feelings about the children.

"Goku," she said a little slowly, "Don't you think you're being…"

Goku shot a questioning glance at her.

"What?" he asked, "What's wrong?"

"…Too…Concerned…for them," Bulma finished indecisively, trying to find the words.

The Saiyajin nearly exploded, but quietly, though his tone held poison.

__

"What do you mean?"

A question like that from Goku needed careful considering. After a few seconds, Bulma was about to answer him when Trunks interrupted her.

"Is it that way, Okaa-san?" he asked her.

Whether this question was to distract the conversation or for real, neither Bulma nor Goku did know, but Bulma pointed to her left.

"No, more over this way, Trunks."

Trunks veered left, putting on more speed. Goku, however, was not put off so easily. He effortlessly caught up with them and peered into Bulma's eyes.

"Tell me," he asked, a little more gently, "What's wrong about Sotari's children?"

Again, Bulma hesitated. She stole a glance over at the distance, and, seeing they were almost there, she turned back to Goku, armed with a very short and concise explanation.

"Think about it, Goku. They're Namekian, Saiyajin, human, _and_ android hybrids; don't you think they might become dangerous?"

"Dangerous? They're just children!"

"Children or no, their minds and bodies are growing faster than anything we've ever seen. Who knows what they might turn into…Their father used to be a demon, their mother an agent of Gero's. And they're in the hands of their mother's allies…They could be turned against us."

Her eyes flashed momentarily, being slightly defensive at Goku's small scowl at her for that last statement.

"Bulma-san, I would've thought you'd have more faith," reprimanded Goku, "_I swear_, whatever Piccolo and Sotari have done in the past, _has nothing on their children._ I _know_, Bulma, as brilliant as _you_ are, compared to me. _They will not turn evil."_

Bulma was silent for a few moments before she spoke again.

"You may have right, Goku," she said, her eyes downcast, "But those children…It's too uncanny…"

Trunks turned to the two and nodded.

"We're here."

Blasts and yells could be heard from below, and the trio stopped to observe the happenings below. It seemed well enough, Sotari fighting Vegeta and Paiji at once, and Migino taking on Pen and Basu. Gohan and Denno took a break long enough to fly up and catch the rest on the latest update.

"They're holding back their powers," Gohan said to his father, "I don't know why, Tou-san, but…"

Goku held up a hand.

"Wait," he said, and everyone looked at him.

The air was silent, save for the fight below, and Goku seemed to be listening for something.

"What is it?" Trunks asked quietly, trying not to disturb Goku much.

"Evil," Goku answered, and suddenly shot towards the ground like a bullet.

Gohan and Denno took after him while Trunks hurriedly flew Bulma to the ground near the fight, but far enough for her not to get hurt. Goku was in the trees, wildly looking around for something while the other two waited behind him, tense. They did not have to wait long. Whatever Goku had been waiting for, it leapt out the shadows, towards the fight.

"It's here!" Goku yelled towards the others.

Denno threw a blue ball of energy at the thing, but it slapped it away like a mosquito. Undaunted, he threw another one, and Gohan joined him, firing multiple gold blasts. As the thing dodged the attacks, it took time to turn and smirk back at them, showing something tucked under its arms. The men's eyes widened quite considerably.

"The children!" Goku cried, rushing forward.

His cry was loud enough to bring the two fights to a halt, some people to gasp, and Sotari to be struck dumb as most people's first glimpse of Cell stood before them, holding onto Naomitsu under one arm and Marissa in the other. Both children were awake, but thoroughly scared. Marissa, poor girl, was shivering and hiccuping uncontrollably. Naomitsu was defiant, but trying hard himself not to cry in his showy display of faked bravery. At the first sight of his mother, he reached out to his sister, but his short arm waved futilely at her.

"Imooto!" he cried, "Okaa-san is here!"

Marissa didn't stop crying, but she took a peek. Sotari was stunned, but her eyes clearly showed pain. She found her own hand reaching for the little one waved at her. Cell smiled and chuckled at Sotari's sudden exhibition of tenderness towards her smallest child. He turned to his right so that Sotari could only see Naomitsu.

"Good afternoon, Sotari-san," he said, his polite greeting sliding off Sotari like water on a duck's back.

She clenched her teeth and gripped her fists tightly.

"Release my children," she said slowly, the fiery rage building in her chest and threatening to explode any second, "I'm warning you…"

Cell only laughed and jerked his head towards the rest of the group.

"We're being rude, Nijuuni-gou (No. 22)," he said, "You haven't introduced me."

"There's no need for them to know," Sotari replied, "Except that you're here for me."

"And your replicas," Cell added, licking his lips, "Sweet girls, Hidari and Shippo were…"

"You knew about the replicas?" Migino's voice interrupted.

"Of course…Nijuuni-gou _is_ my mate, after all."

Cell's eyes shifted to Migino, looking up and down her slim figure.

"Wait, REPLICAS!?" that was Bulma's voice.

"It explains a lot…" said Goku's voice.

"Enough!" yelled Cell, impatience rising in his voice, "My name is Cell, and I've only come here for my mate. I already have the other jinounzingen in my hands, so if you please…"

He took a step towards Sotari, but a small fire lit up in her hand.

"No," she told him, her voice low and dangerous.

Her predestined mate chuckled.

"But Nijuuni-gou," he said, "Your children…Don't you care about them?"

Sotari's eyes softened as Cell turned to his left side, showing a sniffling Marissa, but the fire did not subside. 

"Let them go," she repeated her earlier command.

Cell's eyes glinted.

"Tell you what, Sotari," he said sweetly, "I'll spare the children, but only if you come with me. If not, you know what I will do…"

The fire blew out. Sotari took a step forward, ignoring Goku's protests. The other Z Senshi stood by, unsure of what to make of it. Their plague, Sotari, was disappearing…But to another threat? Why are they standing around then? Shouldn't they kill him---her mate---right now? Better yet, both of them? Besides Goku, who still held faith in Sotari, everyone felt that way. Trunks drew his sword, poised to cut off Cell's head the second he had a chance. 

Paiji looked at him and turned her back on the scene. She was perhaps the only one who did not even care. Cell was a new threat, but it probably wasn't anything she couldn't handle. After all, she could always take a trip into the Time Chamber at Kami's Lookout and train a bit. Most of all, though, she was just glad to rid of Sotari. The reason? Paiji's eyes shifted to Sotari, who was walking toward Cell as if in slow motion.

__

Her daughter nearly killed me…The damn woman deserves everything she gets; she's the one who started it all. Her birth was damned from the very start.

"Bye, bye, Okaa-san," she heard Marissa's tiny voice telling her mother.

The half-Saiyajin cringed.

__

She doesn't deserve those children!

"What about Naomitsu?" Paiji heard Sotari demanding Cell.

Cell laughed quite audibly, and Sotari started to become angry again.

"You told me…" she started, but Cell waved a finger at her.

"One child per mate," he said, and Sotari's fingers curled back into her fist.

However, before Sotari's fist could do anything, Migino had stepped forward.

"I'll go," she volunteered; her voice changed back into something like her old one.

Sotari gave a look of mixed surprise and relief. Migino ignored her and gazed into Cell's eyes. He laughed and released Naomitsu, who immediately made a grab at Sotari's leg, crying.

"Okaa-san!" he cried, "Don't go!"

She smiled sadly and ruffled his messy hair.

"I won't be long, baby," she said in a reassuring voice, "You just take care of your sister, okay?"

Paiji frowned in disapproval, her thoughts dark. Beside her, Trunks set his stance lower, making every muscle tense. On her other side, Vegeta scowled, but he did nothing. Some feet away from them was Goku, holding Marissa close. Next to him was Denno, standing in absolute shock while his brothers shook their heads. Gohan made his way to Sotari and gently pried Naomitsu away. The little boy sniffed and bit his lip, trying harder than ever not to sob. Cell grinned and grabbed the two women and hovered off the ground a moment more, as if waiting for something. 

Trunks saw his chance. With a cry, he leapt forward and made a swing at Cell, but he obviously anticipated this. His tail whipped around and struck Trunks on the side of the face. Paiji heard his pain and she whirled around in concern. She suddenly felt a blow to her head and the feeling of being swept off the ground. Cries were sounded all around her, and ki blasts fired into the air, but Cell was already far away from reach.

"That bastard!" Trunks shouted, forgetting his sword and flying furiously after him.

He fired some attacks for good measure, but he found them returned to him, and was forced to dodge. Gohan flew up beside him and helped him. Goku appeared out of nowhere in front of Cell, but Cell's tail dug into his side, making him cry in agony. The latter's son's ki flared, and hot white energy pierced Cell's back, causing him to withdraw his tail. His victim, however, was not so easily put out. The Saiyajin fired a Kamehameha, but Cell disappeared. All the other Z Senshi were in the air now, trying to seek out Cell's ki. Of course, he being a jinounzingen, that was impossible. Gohan flew to his father's side.

"Are you all right, Tou-san?" he asked, but Goku waved him off.

"I'm fine, but find Cell!"

Gohan closed his eyes, trying to sense out Paiji's energy. It was far away, and the second he knew the location, he took off, Trunks beside him. The others followed in suit as fast as they could. It was some time before they came upon the edge of a deserted city, where a cabin lay below them. Their leader took a sharp plunge down and landed hard on the porch. Trunks landed beside him, already charging up an attack. However, before either could even start breaking down the door, Cell had appeared, the door ripped off its hinges, and an angry scowl on his face.

"Juuhachi-gou!" he shouted, his face flushed.

It took some time for that to sink into Trunks and Gohan.

"What about Juuhachi-gou!" Trunks asked loudly, his eyes blazing, "Where's Pai Pai!?"

Cell's eyes glanced over him and then at Gohan.

"They are safe here, but I will not tolerate being followed," he answered evenly, "Or being attacked for that matter."

"I want Pai Pai!!" Trunks snarled stubbornly, "Give her back!!"

The half-Saiyajin threw a punch at Cell, but the latter caught it easily, smirking.

"I will give you your precious Pai Pai back," he told Trunks, "But only if you find Juuhachi-gou for me…She has escaped me."

Trunks tried to drive his fist further, but Cell tightened his grip.

"I won't---violate---your girlfriend in any way, boy," he told him, "Unless you fail me in this task. I'll give you the next eight days to do it."

"Why eight?" Gohan interrupted.

"Because it will give you time to train for the world tournament I plan to hold ten days from now," replied Cell, "For me to make a stage, and announce the tournament on international television. Anyone is welcome to fight me for the Earth."

"A tournament!" Trunks replied sharply, pulling back his fist, "That's ludicrous!"

"Any other suggestions?" Cell eyed him.

Though the half-Saiyajin tried to come up with another idea, he couldn't. Instead, he shook his head fiercely, and Cell laughed.

"I can see why the girl likes you so much," he commented, and Trunks glared at him.

__

"Don't **dare** touch her," he warned, his venomous voice sending chills, "I'll _personally _kill you if you do."

Cell chuckled.

"Don't annoy me, boy."

Gohan tugged on Trunks' arm, but the half-Saiyajin firmly stayed put, his eyes still lingering towards the inside of the cabin. He could almost see Paiji's frightened blue eyes from the darkness and smelled the heavy presence of blood.

"Trunks!" Bulma's voice shouted at him.

Trunks hesitated just a moment more.

"Pai Pai!! I love you!"

Finally, Gohan managed to pull Trunks away from the cabin, and everyone's eyes were Trunks. After some arguing and explaining, they all trooped back to Capsule Corp, where it was agreed what the general plan was for the next eight days. According to Bulma, two people would train in the Time Chamber while the others searched for Juuhachi-gou. The next day, two other people would train, etc. Almost immediately Vegeta wanted to be first, but flatly refused anyone training with him.

"I don't need anyone," he said, indifferent to the complaints.

"It'd work out perfectly," said Bulma, "Trunks and you, next Pen and Basu, then Yamako and Kuririn, and finally Goku and Gohan. If we get Paiji back, she can go in with…"

"I need to train alone," Vegeta cut in sharply.

"God, baka, you're…" Bulma said, then launched into one of her long and somewhat interesting insults at Vegeta.

As usual, he made no response, except to walk out of the room. Trunks looked after him.

"I'll still train with him," he told Bulma, "Whether he likes it or not."

"All right," said Bulma, throwing her hands up in the air and rolling her eyes, "That's just fine."

"Basu and I will go first," spoke up Pen, "If Vegeta won't mind, that is."

Bulma rolled her eyes again, this time, a little exaggerated.

__

"Sure," she added sarcastically with some acerbity, "He won't mind at all."

~

As soon as the Z Senshi had gone, Cell went back into the cabin. The greeting smell of blood didn't even make him flinch, as hot as it was in there. He heard Paiji cough, and he threw a glare at her. She didn't respond. Cell's arm shot out to here and pulled her close. Paiji kicked him, struggling, but Cell held fast. His cold blue eyes looked deep into her dark blue ones, taking in her half-human beauty. A deep chuckle escaped his throat, and he drew her even closer, making sure that she felt the hardness of his groin.

"You Saiyajins are all the same," he remarked, his rough hands feeling the smooth skin of Paiji's back under her shirt, "So stubborn."

Paiji snarled and tried pushing him, but his hold only tightened. Her breaths were coming short, and the half-Saiyajin still felt nauseous from the blow on the head, and the smell of blood certainly wasn't helping. The room seemed dark and uninviting: most decidedly a place she didn't want to stay long.

"Bastard," she replied, and Cell laughed, heaving her high off the floor.

She tried kneeing him, but felt another sharp pain on her skull. The room suddenly spun, and Paiji felt herself become weak like water in Cell's arms. He adjusted his hold, so that her chin rested on his shoulder. There were soft kisses and little nips on her neck, and Paiji wanted more than anything to just smash his head open on a rock. 

"Your promise…" somebody whispered in the darkness.

Cell groaned, replying something like: "Almost done," or something other. He laid down Paiji on the ground and lay next to her, his hand feeling her stomach while the other hand busied itself with her neck and shoulder, occasionally sliding down her shirt front to fondle her breasts. Paiji was too weak to complain, and no one said anything. After what seemed like too long, he finally set Paiji roughly down on the floor. Paiji dully sensed Sotari propping her up on something, probably a pillow. She then heard the crash of a door opening, and someone being dragged outside. Screams immediately followed thereafter. 

Four Cell Juniors appeared later, guarding them, while two more went about fetching food, clothing, and the rest of it. The two women weren't allowed to leave the cabin for the next few days, which wasn't such a hardship if it weren't for the miniature Cells watching their every movement. At least there was a clean bathroom and shower. Whenever the women took their turns, they were doubly on their guard, for if Cell's sons were EXACTLY like him…Paiji didn't think about that much. However, it still made her jump, even after three days of being locked up in that cabin, hearing the screams. They flooded her ears the first night, and grew less frequent as the hours wore on, but it was still terrifying. 

Only Sotari didn't show any surprise at the screaming. She rarely spoke, and even when one of the Cell Juniors were feeling particularly frisky, she'd only have to glare at them to halt their business. Even if they did uphold their promise, what good was it anyway? As cold-hearted as she used to be, Sotari would often look at Paiji with a pitied look to them, like it was all her fault Paiji was here, and Migino was...At that point, she'd look away, too sad to think and too moody to even argue with the Juniors. Paiji was trying too hard to be strong.

"Am I going to lose myself?" she asked Sotari without even knowing it, "I feel like I've been here forever…"

Sotari gazed past her, looking towards the door, where the screaming had finally subsided.

"That one always keeps his promises," she said, and Paiji wondered if that was really relevant to the question.

At the end of the third day, Cell had come back, and ushered his sons outside. There were a couple chuckles, but then came the dreaded sucking sound. Cell lumbered back into the cabin, feeling very pleased with himself. Paiji gasped and held a hand over her mouth, trying hard not to scream. Her captor saw her expression and laughed.

"Never seen one like it, eh?" he said, fondling himself, "You'll have your turn, 'Pai Pai'…"

Paiji retreated to the bathroom, too sickened to even look at him. She leaned over the toilet, wishing she could vomit up all the nightmares away and flush them for forgetting. Nothing came; just a bit of spit. A groan was audibly heard in the bathroom, and Cell chuckled at Sotari, who said nothing. She simply stood in the middle of the room, gazing at the closed bathroom door. Cell's hand wound around and felt her stomach, pressing her close. Sotari didn't resist, though he clearly made her uncomfortable. His next target was clear, she thought, as his desire felt hard against her back, and the moisture of his warm breath in her ear.

__

It's over…

"Ah, Nijuuni-gou…" he said softly, "Migino was your best replica…A real pity…"

"I'm sure," said Sotari, "You have someone else in mind?"

"I do," he replied, his other hand exploring the inner folds of her thigh, "I do…"

He pulled her towards the door, and she obliged. In the bathroom, Paiji lifted her head.

__

There is nothing you can do…

Paiji heard some fighting outside, some laughs, and then…pain. She clutched her chest, feeling her own, tender heart starting to skip faster. Her breaths became quicker, and then… The half-Saiyajin stood up, ran the showerhead, and stepped in without even bother to take off her clothes. For a long while, she heard the screaming, letting the warm water turn cold as she allowed it to run over her. As if the water itself would be a shield from Cell or help her escape from this dreaded place…For a while, Paiji thought of Trunks. The future, the dreams, their memories…And how she never told him how she felt. She'd probably never will…

"Not in this hellhole…"

She thought she heard something outside, seeming as far away as it was. Her hand switched the shower off, and she stood there, soaking and dripping, listening.

__

"You must be something else," it was Cell's voice, "_To hold the attentions of even a Namekian, when all he can do with his manhood is pass water!"_

The half-Saiyajin bowed her head and cried at no end.

~

Piccolo coughed hard, sending more blood spitting out from his mouth and agony rippling his stomach. Despite his pain, he forced himself to try and concentrate, even lying there flat on the dark-blue stone that was stained with his own dead blood. Callistus wouldn't let him. She straddled him and leaned forward, her dark brown eyes gazing mockingly into his black ones.

"_Well_, Piccolo," she teased, grinning and exposing her fangs.

The Namekian scowled at her and her fingernails dug into his skin.

"You see what happens when anger an Onibeing, Piccolo," she continued, "Though you fought very well…_Much_ more feisty than any man I've ever met…"

She slid his turban off his head and began stroking his head, making him extremely uncomfortable. Her touch felt alien and cold like ice. Piccolo started to move but she pressed her legs harder against him, causing another warm gush from his back.

"You fight me even now," Callistus said, rubbing her cheek against his, "_How_ cute…After all I've done to you."

Piccolo grunted, giving her a cynical look. He felt like his back was broken (which it was) and there was a hole bored into his body.

"It just amazes me, Piccolo…Most would've given to me at the very start. Is it because…" she grimaced, "…of Sotari?"

There was a pause. For a moment, Piccolo's thoughts turned to Sotari, a memory of a dream he had once of her. She had been laughing, her fingers running through her golden hair that was glistening in the sun. And he was watching her in awe from a hidden place as she ran lightly on barefoot at the edge of the sea, kicking up sand as she went. Her pink eyes were flashing, her wet skin was shining, and her tail gone. Anything that had suggested she was evil, or even Saiyajin for that matter, was gone. Finally, near the end of the dream, it was the end of the day of watching her. He had started to leave, but she found him, her face flushed pink. Then she held his face in her hands, gazing into those beautiful eyes of his and he the same. What happened next was something Piccolo never forgot. As the sun set, its dark orange glow setting the sky afire and sending sea gulls home to their nests, she kissed him…The end of something too unlike her, yet lay within her.

__

Sotari…

His fire grew back, and Piccolo gave Callistus the best shove he could manage with a broken back. Startled, she flew back with a shocked expression on her face. He fired a beam at her, burning like acid into her China doll face. Her screams didn't even make him flinch. Piccolo was about to fire another when a familiar, weedy-looking face suddenly flew in front of him. The face belong to a little green demon with wings and claws, and it took a few seconds before Piccolo realized, that behind the demon-thing, was Callistus, howling with pure and unblemished rage at the little fellow, her true colors forcedly unmasked. It did much to shock Piccolo for what she was, but the creature, especially with his back to her, seemed hardly affected. In fact, his appearance could be passed off as not having noticed her at all, except for the slight shift of those darting, conniving eyes. Callistus' roars seemed more amusing to it than anything else did. 

By then she was most frightening to behold: her body had stretched long and lean, her arms slightly too long for her legs and her arched back, and her long spindly fingers were as delicate as spider legs equipped with deadly silver razors for nails. Those wings of hers had also grown claws at certain points so as to pierce their victims with stunning accuracy and unwanted extra effort. She leapt and walked more on the balls of her feet for the spike that was now on her heel, effecting in the claws her toenails now were for better grip on the ground. The fangs in her teeth became two of the many pointed teeth that glittered when she smiled. Tiny horns poked from beneath her head of hair. Even her eyes changed, turning into a blazing, dangerous, and poisonous scarlet, with various specks of gold. These eyes were perhaps the only things still considered beautiful, Piccolo reflected briefly, watching as Callistus tore at the stone around her, making deep silver scratches in blue.

Transformed, Callistus stood and reached for the dark night sky with her long fingers, roaring, the human vanquished, and the animal had risen. The other demon smiled, as if this was perfectly normal, and cleared its throat.

"The King of the Dead would like to see the two of you," he said loudly and clearly, "You're on trial…"

Piccolo's eyes averted from the demon-thing and looked instead at Callistus. She didn't seem to understand. The demon didn't even care a bit. Simply snapping his fingers.

__

"What the hell is he doing?"

Callistus roared again and charged at the two of them, but the cloud of smoke had already surrounded them and was whisking the threesome back to King Enma. By then, it finally dawned on Piccolo just who this demon-thing was. He was Karee, obviously, who could ever forget that stupid face of his? A bright light shone in his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. King Enma's face loomed large and ominously above them, redder than usual from his anger.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE!?!?!?" he hollered at the top of his lungs, "DO YOU KNOW IT'S ILLEGAL TO PASS FROM ONE HELL TO ANOTHER!?!?!?!?"

Piccolo didn't know what to do. Beside him, Karee had disappeared, and reappeared above King Enma's shoulder, giggling gleefully. It suddenly occurred to Piccolo to question just why Karee was laughing.

__

What is he thinking?

On the other side of him, Callistus changed back in her other form, shooting hateful glances at Piccolo and King Enma. Her clothes were literally in rags, barely clinging to her body and exposing her obvious discomfort. The few people other than her, Piccolo, Karee, and King Enma that were in the room at the time quietly blushed, resisting the urge to whistle and cheer. King Enma banged a giant fist on his desk, attracting Piccolo and Callistus' full attention.

"It has come to my attention," he began mindfully, "that Piccolo, son of Piccolo Daimao…"

His eyes shifted to Piccolo, a maliciously mirthful glint in them.

"…And Callistus of the Beautiful, daughter of Alatus the Winged Dark and Phaedra of the Tragic, have violated…"

A hissing noise came from Callistus, startling a few people present. Piccolo raised an eyebrow, but King Enma droned on for a good bit, not heeding Callistus at all. He must have gotten complaints like that every day. 

__

Alatus…the Winged Dark…

The name stirred a deep memory in Piccolo's mind…Or rather, Daimao's memory (it went that far back). Closing his eyes, he shut out King's Enma's booming voice and minor chatter, focusing…

**(Flashback)**

__

Daimao's black eyes surveyed the dark landscape, pleased. The surrounding land around him was completely dead, with all life obliterated. Blood smeared the still, pale faces of the ones who still had bodies while lost, ownerless limbs scattered the landscape like a time after a cherry blossom festival. Sightless eyes stared at the sky hauntingly, still accusing their God of abandonment, while their blood dripped from their hands to form a singular river that meandered about, collecting droplets. Even the sky seemed dead, the clouds uneasy and with hints of rain. The moon had hidden her face behind a funeral veil of clouds, mourning for the dead and shunning away from the thick and vile smell of blood. It was the ultimate graveyard…One not only for animals, but also for the whole planet: Daimao's paradise.

His teeth flashed white in the darkness as he grinned, folding his arms. A winged figure rose from behind him, also smiling. Beside and a little behind him was another, but slimmer and slightly shorter. Another still hung among them, but youngest most definitely, since being the shortest of those congregated. More fanged smiles illuminated the blackness. Daimao turned his head slightly, nodding to the first figure. The moon lifted her veil for a moment, reluctantly lighting up the figure's features. 

A beautiful male Onibeing, the figure was, one of the elder bloodlines, whose lineage almost totally untainted but for a drop of Elven blood flowing in his proud veins. His skin was a light violet color, his dark brown eyes quick and cunning, and long white hair tied loosely behind to expose slightly pointed ears. He was tall and muscular, wearing the traditional Oni warrior dress of the highest-ranking. It included the black ribbon tied rather elegantly around his right wrist, though seemed rather out of place with his attire. The Namekian knew better though, for the ribbon was a sign of power. And he was not one to contradict that power, as much as his own power was, and he'd make use of this allying power for as long as it did not fight back. The figure held out his hand, just as the moon's light waned and disappeared.

"Piccolo," the Onibeing said, his voice deep and creamy, "Piccolo Daimao."

The Namekian turned around and shook the other's hand, smiling a little wider.

"Alatus," he replied, controlling his smile, "The planet is ours."

Brown eyes looked past him, glancing over the dead landscape with adequate satisfaction.

"It is," he said, though his eyes were not appeased, "It took no time…"

A small chuckle escaped Daimao's lips.

"The Handureshi are nothing," he said, "And their planet is weak. But it will suffice for your people, will it not?"

"It will," replied Alatus, his eyes anything but reassured, though his voice didn't sound at all doubtful, "The moon is beautiful…Perfect for our needs."

"There is flesh enough to last you," said Daimao, casting a careless glance at the nearest body, "Until the next planet you need…"

"Yes, yes," replied Alatus, "It is good."

He turned and motioned to the other two figures, who stepped forward as the moon lit the wet and bloody ground again. Its rays first lighted the fine, delicate face of Alatus' mate. Her wide, cat-shaped eyes of amber, with flecks of gold in them, smiled at Daimao with polite amiability. Daimao gave the ever so slightest jerk at her beauty, which lit something deep within him. He checked himself while Alatus introduced his mate to him. Her name was Phaedra, he told Daimao.

"Of the Tragic," he added, a little ruefully, "My mate has suffered much."

"Indeed," replied Daimao, reaching for Phaedra's hand without a word to Alatus.

A lavender shade crept shyly across Phaedra's turquoise skin as Daimao kissed her hand with an exaggerated flourish. An expression of disgust briefly crossed Alatus' face and turned to look at his child. It took only Daimao a split second before to know that Phaedra was a foolish Onibeing, and easier to manipulate than many women he had seduced. He licked Phaedra's hand suggestively and gave her wrist a little nip. She made a little sound, causing her husband to glance back, but Daimao had already withdrawn his welcome. He grinned at Phaedra, who smiled charmingly back. Alatus finally came between them, though Daimao already knew he had come too late. Phaedra was his. The Namekian smiled politely as Alatus stiffly introduced his son, Lytus. Daimao remarked casually, still eyeing Phaedra knowingly, asking Alatus where he had found such a beautiful mate. The Oni snorted, and he didn't say anything.

***

It was not long after that Daimao had done his work. He had nearly killed Phaedra in the process, but Alatus and Lytus had found her before she passed. The Winged Dark was infuriated at his partner's treason. He sought him all over the dead planet, but Daimao was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until he returned home when he found his only son killed by Daimao himself. In his fury, he finally challenged Daimao to a duel, which the Namekian easily won, by sheer cheating. He had solicited the aid of Alatus' rival Onibeings, who weakened Alatus with their black magic and poisons while Daimao beat the male Oni's being to a pulp. Not long after that event, Daimao went back on his word and murdered his helpers in cold blood, and destroyed what was left of the planet. Phaedra had managed to escape before the destruction, and, even in her weakened state, landed on the near farming planet in the next galaxy, Ukainsah. There, she eventually gave birth to an Onibeing girl, who became as much as a terror to her galaxies as much as Daimao and Alatus had been to theirs. The daughter of the Winged Dark was never found…

**(End flashback)**

"…And so, due to these circumstances," King Enma's voice became loud again, jerking Piccolo awake of his trance, "I, King Enma…"

He eyed Piccolo, that malicious glint back in his eyes. It was obvious he clearly enjoyed his work, as boring as it seemed most of the time. Piccolo had a wild thought that King Enma was talking to him specifically, especially when he saw the giant King of Hell wink at him as he raised a giant hand with an icy stamp in his grasp. The Namekian braced himself, just in case.

"…Condemn Callistus to the Icebox Hell!!"

The hand came down on the desk with a tremendous crash. Piccolo jerked his head at Callistus, watching her reaction. At first, it was disbelief. Then, as her face started to cloud with anger, denial. Then, white-hot energy filled the room, making everybody sweat. Callistus' teeth grew pointed and she started changing again. King Enma rolled his eyes, and Karee flew rapidly down and caught hold of Callistus, laughing out loud as smoke poured from nowhere. As soon as she realized what was happening, Callistus began to struggle, and Karee was clearly having a hard time getting hold of her, causing twin tufts of smoke to stream angrily from his nostrils. She'd slip from his slimy grasp and fly around in circles, but huge, bulky demons with horns appeared from nowhere, poking at her with their sticks, sickles, and other weapons. They'd drive her back, but she, in her panic, started the process all over again when Karee managed to grab her. Piccolo stood rooted to the spot, watching her.

__

Foolish of her…

Callistus suddenly bobbed up in front of him, her face desperate. Her white hands grabbed his gi and her legs wrapped around his waist, clinging to him like a frightened child. She burrowed her face in his gi, hiding her face from the hovering Karee. He definitely looked annoyed, and wasn't about to let an Onibeing escape his clutches now. The demon laid an oily hand on her shoulder, but she only tightened her grip on Piccolo.

"Please," she pleaded, in a voice unlike anything she had used on Piccolo, "Help me…"

She looked up at him, gazing deep into his dark eyes.

"…I'll be trapped…Forever…"

Piccolo stared at her, gravely gaping into her own brown eyes. His earlier vision of Callistus came again, this time more sharper and clearer than ever before, and Piccolo could just see…Just behind that laughing figure with endless black hair…A great, craggy pillar where Callistus' hair wrapped around it like a giant restraint. It suddenly came to Piccolo that there was a figure tied to that pillar, but he could only make out the figure's golden hair from the black…Piccolo's eyes hardened like ice.

__

…The Winged Dark…

His icy eyes found Callistus, who looked thoroughly puzzled and pleading.

"Let go of me," he said, his voice hold the faint trace of a growl.

She scowled at him, as if she had truly expected him to help her.

"No."

The Onibeing clung as tightly as ever, ignoring Karee's futile attempts to pry her away and the sharp pokes and stabs of bladed weapons. Even Piccolo's head butt didn't affect her the slightest bit. The Namekian finally had to resort to biting the tender part of her throat, causing her to cry in pain and loosen her hold for a second. Karee flew at her, and several guards took fast of her arms, legs, and wings. Callistus struggled, and a sharp voice pierced the air towards Piccolo: _"I will haunt, you, son of Piccolo Daimao! There will be no end to the nightmares you will have!! And Sotari…"_

Callistus' voice paused a moment, letting her message sink in as the smoke surrounded her and the escorts. As she disappeared, her voice stilled echoed: _"…I shall **end** her…!"_

Piccolo stood as before, his arms folded and his frown deep. It was not Callistus' statement that was troubling him; he knew she wasn't the type to boast…Her father hadn't been either. He suddenly realized that he and Callistus could possibly be half siblings. The thought sickened him temporarily, but it sunk into Piccolo that that was highly unlikely; her eyes were too much like her father's. Still, one could never be sure…

"As for you, son of Piccolo Daimao," Piccolo heard King Enma's faraway voice declare, "I…"

The great man drew himself up and sighed, with a touch of reluctance. Piccolo suspected something, and his hunch was right, though not in the way he expected of King Enma, Lord of the Dead!

"…I was wrong…" King Enma said, dragging out the words.

The Namekian found himself gaping at him.

__

"What?"

King Enma glared at him.

"It's all Kami's fault! I remember him skulking around here the first time you died, pleading with me with all he had as Earth's Guardian to let you off to the North Kai's. Honestly! Haven't heard such cheek since the day I…"

He rambled on for a few minutes, and Piccolo quickly grew restless. However, he was spared as a blue-horned man with thick glasses peeked into the office, looking extremely nervous.

"Uh, sir," he said timidly in an annoying nasal tone, "They're getting quite restless outside…"

The Lord of the Dead waved an impatient hand, breaking off from his circumlocution.

"A minute," he said, and the man disappeared.

His shrewd, peering eyes found Piccolo again, picking up some papers from his desk, and fingering one of two stamps on his desk. One was the stamp from before, of Dysodea. The other was one Piccolo hadn't seen before. It was rather plain looking in some respects, but it was obvious that it was for one of the Hells. King Enma played with it a moment more, then picked it up, resolute.

"I'm moving you up, Namekian," he said gruffly (in a good way, Piccolo thought), "To Jigoku. In the, uh, 'light' of some previous events…"

He paused, wondering if he should go on. The blue-horned man appeared again, peering around the edge of the same doorway as before, but looking rather harassed. Shouts of irate and impatient clouds/souls could be audibly heard.

"…Anyway," King Enma said quickly, anxious, "You've been proven better by your adopted sire, and you should be grateful, son of Piccolo Daimao…"

Piccolo cringed at the familiar statement, but King Enma took no notice.

"…So here it goes!" he announced, stamping hard on a paper, "Instant transfer to Jigoku."

There was a glint in his eye as a large, red-skinned man with horns and glasses came forward with a club in one hand. Piccolo knew he was from Jigoku, acting as an escort, and gave him a classic Piccolo-smile. The man instantly looked frightened, almost dropping his club. The Namekian nearly laughed out loud, and walked ahead of the man, feeling very pleased with himself. King Enma watched them go, and shook his head, filing away Piccolo's papers. The blue-horned man fully stepped into the room, holding a list, and proclaimed in his annoying voice: "Hipotoclytesh---Clyte for short---from the Planet…"

"Rush hour," King Enma muttered, "I should take a vacation…"

~

Already seven days had gone by on Earth, and not even a hint of Juuhachi-gou. It was on everyone's nerves, Trunks' especially. Whenever anyone wasn't training or preparing for the tournament, they'd go out in small groups. The watch for Juuhachi-gou was almost 24 hours a day, with at least one person on duty. However, this method did nothing to turn up any new clues. Bulma had sent Trunks and Gohan to see if there was anything that could be found in Gero's old lab. The two had indeed found an underground lab of the dead scientist, which resulted in one significant discovery: blueprints of Juuanna-gou. They also found the larvae form of Cell, which they, on consulting Bulma, decided to bring back to Capsule Corp for study. It was then Bulma was working her hardest, and even with her brilliant father at her side, she was lucky to go to bed at all for the entire duration of three whole days.

"Damn," she sighed, rubbing her eyes and yawning, "Can't…stay awake. Ugh."

She rolled her shoulders back a bit and stretched, shaking her head. Mr. Briefs looked up from his work.

"More coffee?" he asked, holding a mug out to his daughter.

Bulma quickly snatch the cup from her father and gulped the drink down gratefully. Her father glanced at the clock on the wall, shaking his head.

"3am, Bulma," he said, stifling a yawn, "I'm going to bed…Good luck."

"Night, Dad," Bulma mumbled, craning over a small black box.

A sharp snap sounded in the hall, followed by footsteps until they stopped at the doorway of the lab.

"Hello, Trunks," Bulma said without looking up as her son came into the room.

"Morning, Kaa-san," replied Trunks, taking a seat next to his mother.

"Any luck?"

Trunks shook his head.

"Nothing…As usual."

Bulma's tired eyes stopped a moment and looked at her son.

"Don't give up…We'll find her soon."

"It's the last day, Kaa-san!" Trunks protested, frowning, "If we haven't found her now, what then? What about Pai Pai?"

"Trunks," interrupted Bulma with exhausted patience, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Listen to me."

She held up a little black box in her hand. Trunks looked with interest.

"This is the same control device that Gero used to control the jinounzingen. Though they didn't have the ki that we can detect from _living_ things, they did give off a special energy that was used from…"

"You mean we _can _track Juuhachi-gou?"

"…Of course. It's all the matter of…"

Bulma pressed a blue button. The device lit up, and a green screen appeared with a various dots on it. 

"It works like the Dragon Ball Radar," explained Bulma, pointing the dots, "Only instead of Dragon Balls, we get the registered ki of people. Like this one…That's Goku and this one is…"

Trunks' eyes widened.

"You made something like that in the future," he told Bulma, "Only it was built in the bomb shelter and larger."

"Really?"

It was Bulma's turn to be surprised. Trunks smiled. He reached for the device.

"What's the red button for?"

"That," said Bulma, growing serious, "Is for Juuhachi-gou."

She showed it to him.

"You press it down hard and it'll shut her system down. Of course, you won't be able to do this if you don't know where she is. It only works if you're less than twenty feet of her."

"Twenty feet!?"

"Yes, twenty feet. That's why I had the ki-sensing thing in the same device. Makes it easier, no?"

"Why couldn't have we done this earlier!?"

Bulma drew herself up, her eyes lit. For a moment, she looked frightening to Trunks, who cringed, waiting for an inevitable slap. When it didn't come, he opened an eye, and Bulma nearly burst out laughing.

"You're too old for slaps," she teased, pinching his cheek, "Besides, I couldn't have done this earlier; you only brought me the plans of Juuanna-gou only three days ago."

"Four," Trunks corrected.

His mother gave a slight scowl.

"Just like you! Always wanting the last word!"

Trunks snatched the black box, grinning.

"Thanks, Kaa-san! I'll try it right now!"

"Wait!" Bulma called after him, "Isn't it Kuririn's turn for watch?"

The half-Saiyajin didn't hear her his heart leapt. He ran from the room, literally skipping.

__

It won't be long now…

Another snap of a door down the hall, and Bulma sighed. She leaned back in her swivel chair, rubbing her eyes.

"That boy…Going to marry Paiji someday."

"He's crazy if you ask me," said someone.

Bulma kept her eyes closed.

"Good morning, Kuririn."

The short bald monk came in and leaned against a counter.

"Tired, huh?"

His friend nodded.

"I just finished something for shutting down Juuhachi-gou."

Kuririn looked pained.

"I've…Never seen her before. She seems---Nice---"

Bulma nearly fell out of her chair. Her eyes snapped open and stared, mouth slightly open, making Kuririn extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed.

__

"Nice!?" Bulma said loudly.

The other turned a dark shade of maroon. He began shifting his weight from foot to foot, his eyes darting every which way in the room.

"Well, um, I mean---in the manner of speaking---of course I don't really…"

Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"I wondered _why_ there were so many newspapers lying around the house," she said in an accusing voice, "With Juuhachi-gou and her brother's faces plastered on every front page and the heading 'Killer Jinounzingen Attack!' in bold letters. Not particularly good pictures, and rather blurry, but many of them feature mostly Juuhachi-gou…"

Bulma's eyes gave off a spark.

"You love a _jinounzingen_, Kuririn?" she asked softly, but incredibly surprised, emphasizing on the word for an artificial human.

Kuririn didn't meet her gaze, still fidgeting at every passing second.

"Kuririn," continued Bulma, folding her arms in a dissatisfied way, "I'm one of your oldest friends, right? I _know_ about this sort of thing. You can't just go around falling in love with someone like that…Especially if that certain someone is an enemy of ours!"

Her friend cringed, but one of his straying eyes locked with hers.

"She might be…" he stammered, "It's possible---but…I must be mad---or dreaming---you wouldn't understand…"

Bulma threw up her hands and gave a very loud sigh of exasperation.

"What the hell are you talking about? Spit it out, Kuririn!"

"She…Might be different!" blurted out Kuririn, a new flush of pink on his cheeks.

"WHAT!?"

The feeling of a shocked stare filled the atmosphere. Kuririn turned an even deeper shade of red.

"I…I…" he stuttered, "It's just---I mean---Don't take that as…What I'm trying to say is…"

Bulma held up a firm hand, silencing him.

"Ludicrous," she said coldly, "Simply ludicrous. Cyborgs are cyborgs. They are created simply for the purpose of fulfilling the things humans can't do. There is only information. Any feelings that these---beings---have are purely artificial."

She almost glared at him.

"I suggest you rethink your actions, Kuririn, if you don't wish to die under the hand of a cyborg…Like our friend Piccolo."

The latter struck Kuririn, but it didn't sink in. He nodded in empty-headed agreement, like someone who didn't understand English. Kuririn quietly left the room as Bulma sunk back into her swivel chair, pinching her third eye.

"Ludicrous," she repeated to herself, not hearing the click of the door down the hall, "Simply ludicrous…"

Outside, Kuririn sped into the twinkling sky, sensing out Trunks' ki. He had to stop him! His heart was thumping as fast as those images of Juuhachi-gou. She looked so fierce in those pictures in the newspapers, extremely aggressive, which made her dangerous. Kuririn almost wished he could agree with Bulma and everyone else. Juuhachi-gou was their enemy and deserved to be hated…Or did she? The bald monk found himself slowing down.

"No, she's human," he mused, "Like everyone else, only…different."

Another flash of Juuhachi-gou lit his mind. This was a particularly intriguing picture of her, in one of those obscure, local papers Kuririn had picked up. It depicted a photograph of her, by herself, and slightly blurred, but better than most pictures. She was rushing forward, her arms stretched back, eyes straight ahead, as if she was flying.

__

Maybe even escaping…

His eyes gazed at the landscape before him. It was a dark, beautiful morning, the half-moon clinging like a child to its starless mother sky. The forests below him were lush and peaceful, and the air was warm with bits of playful, freezing wind. A far-off lake sparkled like it was holding stars in its waters, its streams carrying away some of the silver gleams to the vast and black ocean on the horizon. There were some foggy parts hanging over some areas of the forests, coloring the green with silvery gray. To Kuririn, it seemed like such a faraway world. One that was of the elder world, its time frozen while the rest of the world wasted away. He wished he could stay here forever…

A rustle below disturbed him. Kuririn looked down, his eyes skimming over the treetops. The flash of yellow suddenly caught his eye, and a pair of ice blue eyes followed. They stared at him for a moment and Kuririn the same. The understanding was exchanged in a fleeting second, and the lights of Juuhachi-gou's eyes blinked away, green leaves covering her again.

"Wait!" cried Kuririn, reaching for her and flying down to the tree, "Juuhachi-gou!"

__

Wait for me…

He literally crashed into the treetop, dismembering branches, scattering leaves, and causing the whole tree to sway from his weight. It eventually swung so much, that the trunk the snapped and Kuririn fell hard on the ground in a tangle of tree things. There was much spitting of leaves out of his mouth and checking for scratches, that Kuririn didn't notice at first the pretty face that was quietly laughing at him in the bushes. Juuhachi-gou finally walked right up to him and touched his back. Kuririn gave a jump, falling forwards. The jinounzingen chuckled again.

"Hello, little man," she said sweetly, "What are you doing out here?"

It was plainly apparent she wasn't afraid of him. Kuririn spat out another leaf and picked himself up, trying to regain some of his dignity. Juuhachi-gou smiled at his nervousness while Kuririn tried to say something.

"I'm---uh---just…Well, it's late, but I…the reason I…"

Kuririn scratched his head, trying to think of something to say. Back at Capsule Corp, there had been plenty to say. Mostly in front of a mirror, and most the words he practiced seemed rather stupid, but it was better than stammering and stuttering like an idiot.

"I…I…" he tried again.

Juuhachi-gou reached out and began stroking his head. 

"What's wrong, little man?"

His face grew a bright pink, and his palms began to sweat. Her touch was wonderful, sending exciting electric chills all over him, filling him with happiness. The monk could almost swear his heart was skipping beats.

__

She's touching me!

The words pounded in his head like his heart, and Kuririn's eyes shone like two bright stars. At that moment, he knew that he loved her, and he didn't care who she was or what she had done, but he was going to marry her. In his mind's eye, he was already seeing flashes of their wedding and their children…If _only_ she knew!

"I…I…" he mumbled, which was all he could of what was going on in his mind.

"You're kind of cute," Juuhachi-gou said, leaning forward, "But short."

The last comment drenched Kuririn's hopes a moment. His face turned redder.

"R-really?" he stammered, feeling like kicking himself for being so stupid.

"Yes," she said, then paused.

She withdrew her hand, and Kuririn's head felt cold again.

"Am I," she said, "Human?"

"What?"

Kuririn stared at her, and saw that she was serious. Her playful expression was gone.

"I heard you talking about me," she said, "With your friend at Capsule Corp…I was hoping to---visit, but then I stopped to listen outside through the walls. You said that I seemed…nice."

Juuhachi-gou studied his reaction. Kuririn was slightly confused. The situation seemed delicate, now that she was practically being two different people at the same time. The Juuhachi-gou who had greeted him was coy and mischievous, taking pleasure in others being uncomfortable. The one standing before him was…different. More sensitive…Sad…There was reason to wonder at such sudden changes of emotions.

__

Perhaps…It's her human side talking to me now…

The cyborg looked at him hard.

"Well?" she said, a touch of her other side in her voice.

"Yes, I said those things," Kuririn said, not stammering this time, "I thought…That you were different from your brother. From Cell and Sotari…"

She looked at him thoughtfully.

"I am," she replied, "I hope I am, at least…I don't know."

Juuhachi-gou set herself down in the wet grass, and Kuririn sat next to her.

"It's been so long," she said, "Since I thought about it. You never think of yourself as a human once you do things normal humans can't do. And your other personality---the one that comes with being a cyborg---is so driven to be a cyborg that you forget yourself. There were times I even forgot I had been a human at one time and had always been a cyborg."

Her eyes looked at him, searching.

"What made you think I was…nice?"

Kuririn blushed.

"You're…you're beautiful."

"That's not the point," she replied, a little disappointed and annoyed at his answer, "There are lots of people who are beautiful and are horrible…Like me."

"No, don't say that," said Kuririn quickly, "You aren't horrible! You shouldn't say things like that about yourself!"

"But I am! I am! Look how many people I've killed!"

She was starting to stand up, but Kuririn stood up after her as she began stalking off into the woods again.

"You're not horrible!" Kuririn called after her; "You're just…jaded."

There was a pause. Juuhachi-gou halted in her tracks, listening for more.

"Jaded?" she said aloud.

"You're tired of being a cyborg," said Kuririn, trying to explain his meaning, "You regret all the things you've done and you want to be free. I know it!"

His eyes looked at her back searchingly in the dark, hoping she understood. She gave no response. He tried again.

"You're different from the android Gero wanted you to be. Just by talking to me, you've defeated his purpose. You aren't who you're supposed to be, and you know it. No one can force you to be someone else…"

Kuririn paused, hoping more than ever that he could reach her. He wanted to save her. The natural, _human_ thing to do…

__

I love you, Juuhachi-gou…

"Stay with me," he said, "Be with me. If you don't have anywhere to go, I'll be here. I'll be anywhere you want to be, Juuhachi-gou. Even if it's to the moon or something I'll be there. No one deserves to be lonely, even if they've done some bad things in the past, but the past is the past and we should forget and forgive…"

He took a breath and held it, hoping… Juuhachi-gou slowly turned around, her eyes locked on him. There was no feeling of emotion in her face. Perhaps, if Kuririn's guess was correct, slightly dazed. It was hard to tell, the night so dark and her so cryptic. Somehow, it seemed to be a tendency in Gero's female cyborgs. Always changing their emotions at the turn of a second and reverting back the next. One could never be sure of their exact thoughts, even if one knew them very well. Kuririn himself did not know now, for he could only stand and wait. The cyborg still seemed to be dazed, considering an answer.

"I…" she began to say softly.

There was a crack of a twig. Juuhachi-gou jerked her head sharply to her right, then darted left. Before Kuririn knew what was happening, he saw her fall, waving her arms and her mouth moving to form a cry…The sound of a soft thud in the grass alerted Kuririn's attentions. He dashed forward to aid her, as powerless as he was, but as soon as he cradled her in his arms and looked deep into those wide, starless eyes, he knew. The monk looked up accusingly in the dark bushes and cried out.

"Who's there!"

Trunks emerged from the bushes and approached them, clutching the black box tightly. So tautly his fingers grasped the box, his hand was white and shaking slightly. But his eyes were firm and cold.

"Why are you here, Kuririn?" he said, now standing before them, "I was taking care of this."

"Trunks," said Kuririn, then looking at Juuhachi-gou, "You've killed her."

The half-Saiyajin didn't even flinch.

"Had to," he said curtly, "For Pai Pai's sake."

Kuririn glared at him.

"For your sake," Trunks added, eyeing Kuririn, "She would've killed you."

"No," said Kuririn, his eyes like black ice, "She isn't like that."

The fleeting memory of his fight with Juuhachi-gou came back to Trunks. His first impression never left him. Juuhachi-gou, he thought, was a wily and dangerous girl. Aggressive and mischievous, though willing to play along with her brother's foolish, childish wishes for gore. Not much like the Mirai Juuhachi-gou at all, who was annoyed at humans, only going along with her brother because of his own bloody passion. She was formidable though; definitely someone to be avoided at all costs. Trunks stiffened at the mental pictures.

"It doesn't matter anyway," he said, leaning down and tucking the box in his pocket, "I've…"

His friend shot out a hand, whacking Trunks' hand away.

"Don't touch her!"

He lifted her up on his own, all the while glaring at Trunks, and thinking how much he had taken after Bulma.

__

They're rather like the androids, come to think of it…Cold and unfeeling. Swift in their decision of taking lives, not caring about what they'll destroy, internally or externally…So selfish!

"I'll hold her," he said coldly, "You'd drop her."

Trunks shrugged his shoulders. Obviously, he saw nothing wrong with turning off Juuhachi-gou. He rose in the air and hovered, waiting. Kuririn nodded and rose, too. The half-Saiyajin flew ahead to wake the others at Capsule Corp, while the other lagged a little behind, gazing into her still face, and contemplating…

~

Latin names: _callistus-_beautiful; _dysodea-_evil-smelling; _felosmus-_foul-smelling, _alatus-_winged.

Callistus-By pure coincidence, there is a saint called Callistus. His life consisted of several occupations at different times: slave, banker, convict, and pope. He was martyred later, and his feast day is October 14.

Oni: In Shinto, there is a class of demon that is found both in the living and the dead called 'Oni'. They are believed to be responsible for all sorts of misery, from famine to disease, and can assume either or both human and animal forms, though most are invisible. Only diviners or especially virtuous people (Piccolo isn't in either class; He's just smart!) can detect these demons and subdue them.

Pelias: In Greek mythology, he is known as the treacherous brother of King Aeson of Iolcus (the father of Jason, the seeker of the Golden Fleece). He overthrew his brother and later ordered his death, angering Jason. With his soon-to-be-bride, Medea, the couple plotted a gruesome plot of the murder of Pelias. Medea tricked Pelias' daughters into chopping their father's body and cooking the pieces (this action caused angry mobs to chase Jason and Medea out of the country, rather than putting them on the thrones as their proper rulers).

Phaedra: The Phaedra known in Greek mythology was the mad second wife of Theseus (famous hero and adventurer). Theseus' first son from his first marriage was Hippolytus, who was quite grown up and attractive by this time, and often ignored the approaches of Aphrodite (goddess of sexuality, etc.), preferring to hunt in the forests of Artemis (twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the hunt and moon). This snub of her authority angered Aphrodite, who made Phaedra fall madly in love with her stepson. The queen tried to hide her passion, but her nurse revealed the secret to Hippolytus, who was terribly disgusted and fled. When the queen killed herself in her grief, she left an incriminating letter accusing Hippolytus of rape. Theseus, upon discovering the letter, put a curse on his son, who was later killed when his horses dragged him to death.

Kurin: The cousin of the dragon in Chinese mythology and the equivalent of the widely known griffin, though the kurin looks like a goat with a dragon's head. It is said whenever a kurin appears in the sky and the Books of Knowledge appear after it, then a saint has been born.

Kappas: water demons in Japanese mythology that look like ducks with turtle shells on their backs and a saucer-like depression in their heads. They like sumo wrestling, cucumbers, the taste of human blood, and dragging people into water to drown them. The only way to defeat a kappa is by either giving it a cucumber or to bow to it. By bowing, the kappa will be obligated to return it, and the water in its head (which must always be filled) will spill. Or, if it'll accept the gift of a cucumber, it will give away secrets of medicine and its friendship.

Semele: was actually the daughter of Cadmus (founder of the Greek city of Thebes) in Greek mythology, whom Zeus had an affair with. Hera, overcome with jealous rage, disguised herself as an old woman and convinced Semele to ask Zeus to show himself in his fullest glory. The god did, quite reluctantly, and the sight was too much for the mortal to bear, so Semele was burned away. However, Zeus was able to rescue their unborn son (the god Dionysus) from her ashes.

Basilisk: As depicted in Harry Potter, these creatures are huge snakes. Of course, some early artists disagreed, since they literally followed the myth of the Basilisk's origin of having been the offspring of a rooster/chicken with a snake. Other myths said that the Basilisk came from cobras, as they were sometimes depicted as large serpents with a crown or a white mark on their forehead.


	14. RD: Sure Thing

Notes: The first section begins from Paiji's POV on the dawn of the eighth day (She's having a dream, by the way, for the very first section, before the star *).

~

_The sun shines behind a dusky cloud in the red-orange sky, hanging over the ruined black roof of a palace and forests where a rule once stretched far: the haunting backdrop of a humid evening. Dust hangs like drooping curtains, trying to cover up the piles of bodies prepared for mass graves. Those who still stand limp and lean on their bloody, proud swords, some even having the cheek to vainly lift their chins and boast. The wiser ones lean against what's left of the palace, clutching their weapons tightly with white knuckles, prepared for Hell again, and not let their pride be spoiled by surrender. That is their way._

_I timidly poke my head out from behind a bent willow tree, my pale hand grasping the smooth bark, my very being now suddenly part of the lull in this massive war. Silt fills my eyes and nostrils as the odor of blood hits me like a slap in the face. I cringe. For the first time, I'm actually conscious of what's around me, before consisting more of memories and scenes passing me like ribbons flying in the wind. My inner self, the modern self, mumbles a waking thought: "My dreams were never this real before…" They never had been. Why now, a bloody, intense, deathly, earthly dream for a real dream? Was there something I should know?_

_Away with softness!___

_My eyes narrow as they survey the camp. Disgusting conditions. One man urinates in my sight! The others don't care to watch their comrade, for they wander in pointless directions with their wounded gaits, yearning a place to hide with cleans beds and hot wine, away from the enemy and its discomforts forever. I pity them and their depleted morale, secretly glad for not being a man, who are always having duties with war and casualties and always running the risk of his entire self sometimes destroyed._

_Barely a few yards away from me, a warrior pauses in his wandering of the camp. His strong hands reach for his helmet and he pulls it off with a yank. He shakes his head, trying to dry the sweat clinging in his hair. My breath is caught in my throat and my heart halts at his beauty. I am tempted to be bold to walk right up to him, in my pretty white shoes and shining hair, in the plain sight of filthy, homesick soldiers, to grab his handsome face and kiss him. "No," I think, "Don't be foolish." Suddenly, something catches his attention, and he stops. The sun shows her face for a moment, lighting up the dusty ground beneath the warrior like a beam from Heaven, the light catching the twinkle of his shining eyes for the first time. I look deep into those eyes, and the words write themselves between us…_

_…I love you…_

_Despite my usual, modern nature, the ancient instinct of a different time caused me to shirk back behind the tree. Had he seen me? I blush and the white sleeve of my kimono brushes against my pink cheeks. "Of course he saw you!" I scold myself. There is the sound of clinking metal approaching me. My body stiffens and my breath holds still. The heart in my chest is thumping, faster and faster…Footsteps of boots trudge in the dusty dirt and I dare to peek around the tree. Those gorgeous eyes meet me, and my foot, with a life for itself, takes a brash chance in taking a step towards him. He steps forward. My heart is now a hum to my ear and I lean forward to take his outstretched hand. I grasp it tightly, suddenly knowing how precious his touch was. His returning grip nearly hurts me, but there are no cries of pain from me._

_…I love you…_

_Our clasped hands parted, mine retreating to hanging by my side and his fingers unexpectedly went through my hair, holding the back of my head and pulling me to him. His other arm wrapped around my waist, securing me as he suddenly kissed me. It was a sweet, precious kiss. I knew even before that this wasn't some ordinary man wasn't just looking for some stray pleasure…It was Trunks. **My** dearest, darling Trunks…_

_Deafening eruptions penetrate, and Trunks pulls away, his head jerking towards the opposite direction and his hold on me tightening protectively. The sounds of revived war ignite our fears and horror in our veins. He glanced at me a moment and he nodded. I nodded back. Battle cries rose and died in the air as he fixed his helmet back on, with me watching him, silently and sadly. A tear must've crept from my eye, because he brushed my face with his fingertips._

_"Don't cry…" he said, "I love you."_

_The first and only words he said to me. He kissed me again, quicker and more passionate. I responded just as equally. Then, he was gone, his sword raised and his cry riding the wind. _

_…Wait for me…_

_I did not look around the tree again for a moment, fearing. There was no question of his death. Sounds of clashing swords, tearing flesh, and dying shouts reached me and I shook, crying. I finally dared another peek. A gasp escaped my mouth and I felt the color drain from my face at the sight I saw. The details felt even too real for a dream. My innocence is hushed to the rhythm of my pounding heart… Eager terror burns itself on the faces of dying souls, sending the chills like deadly needles pinching my skin…Awaking reality. Numbness engulfs all emotions as malice sears souls and horror strips away my consciousness in the grounds of warfare…Shattering…Demonic splintering angelic… _

_For a moment…as I ran from the shelter of the tree to my fallen beloved…I thought: "**Is** this real?" _

_More than anything I didn't want it to be. As I held Trunks' head in my lap, stroking his hair, and whispering to him, I could feel myself rising from my body like a cloud as a cold stab of steel invaded my back and heart, stealing my life. I could even look at my body and see the spurt of red from my chest stain my beloved's still face. The scene was fading away before me, the edges of the dream lined with red. However, even if I was waking up, the war inside my head was still going. The men were still dying and my body was still there…Maybe…I was dead…For real… _

*

_My eyes snap open from the dream, and I am instantly awake. Instinctively my hand flies to my chest, half-expecting the familiar, telltale warmth and the cold, slippery steel of a murder weapon. All my fingers felt was the dry, stiff material of my tank top. Slightly relieved, I lean back, my hand to my forehead, checking for any fevers. The cold sweat on my neck and face is drying, making my skin sticky._

_"God…" I say, with a strange and unfamiliar hysterical note in my voice, "I was dead…and Trunks…"_

_I wildly glanced around, still unconvinced that the dream was over. No, the bathroom looked the same: wooden floor, one sink, a toilet, a medicine cabinet, some towels stacked neatly in a corner, a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling…My hands grasp the sides of the bathtub, heaving myself up to the little window above. There's numbness in my fingertips as they fumble with the little catches. A panic nearly settles over me._

_(Oh my god!__ I can't feel my fingers!)_

_I quickly massage my fingers, almost frantically trying to revive them. The living feeling returns only after I nearly do become hysterical, which I blush for despite that no one was around to see me. Cold, fresh air gently comes when I finally open the window, and my sweat becomes even stickier. I close my eyes, glad for the smell of something else. There is a moment before I dare open them again, a little afraid of what I'd see: The still, pale face of my dead Trunks? My murderer poised with a sword in hand? A sea of blood? And bodies floating in it?_

_No…I am mistaken. It is dawn, no doubt, for I see the sun, rising in her golden-pink glory. A sigh escapes me. Freedom! I am tempted to blast the wall to pieces and fly away…To escape…To go home…_

_"…And Trunks…"_

_There is a quiet flood of anger in me. My fist threatens to collide into the wall, but I only cry in frustration. I've nearly always been so strong…_

_"Damn! Damn, damn, damn…"_

_I couldn't escape this damn place! Before I could move those damn Cell Juniors would grab me! And then Cell…who knows…One really couldn't trust him… The wall swims before my eyes and I blink, trying to clear my vision._

_(…What's one more to him?)_

_My head drops, my forehead making a dull thudding sound against wood._

_"God damn him!"_

_A noise stirs from the next room. I'm on immediate alert, my head turned and my fist poised. My ears pick up sounds away from the bathroom…I lower my fist. Maybe it wasn't for me. I tilt my head, listening closely. It sounded like it was from the entrance door of the cabin…A heavy dragging sound…A body maybe? I allow myself a shudder._

_(Sotari!)___

_Chuckles catch my attention, and I am absorbed in listening once more. Some shuffling, like feet sliding against the floor…A deep laugh…_

_"Cell…"_

_I shift my position slightly, straining my ears. Sometimes I wish I were part Namekian! Though the next part was loud enough all right…_

_"Sotari," said Cell's voice, "I am surprised…You've managed to live this long?"_

_(Sotari's alive!?)_

_A mumbled response…More laughing…___

_"…I always knew you were strong…"_

_Ki__ rising…Then a smack…I wince. The sound of Sotari's head thuds against the floor. Then something soft being tossed and landing somewhere. Next another noise, like someone's foot kicking against something. A groan…_

_"Get dressed."_

_Footsteps…I shrink back into the farthest corner of the bathtub. The door opens and I shut my eyes. I could even feel his presence towering above me, chuckling. A hand rests upon my shoulders…_

_…No escape…___

~

A tense, confusing strain had come into the atmosphere as the group of Z Senshi touched ground in front of the cabin. There was a slow kind of watchfulness as all eyes were fixed on the cabin door, waiting…All had their minds fixed to go and barge right in there, but the faint, glowering memory of a promise still weakly clung to their minds. Kuririn alone was torn between his love and the world as he sat down and stroked an unconscious Juuhachi-gou's hair in his lap. Everyone felt some sympathy…Well, almost everyone. 

Trunks was barraging Basu with unnecessary attacks on Kuririn's crush. Basu mutely agreed, and quickly turned away from the rest of the conversation. His expression didn't escape Trunks. He opened his mouth to reprimand his friend, but a movement halted his raised hand. Every single head turned as the creak of the cabin door alarmed Cell's approach. The ugly face appeared from the dimness. Its owner took a step, exposing half of himself. The Z Senshi tensed, poised to leap forward and attack, whatever was necessary. Cell seemed quite amused, and stepped forward, dragging something heavy behind him. Trunks took in a sharp breath, and Basu reached out and gripped his friend's shoulder.

"Pai Pai…"

The half-Saiyajin girl looked deathly pale, her body limp, and her eyes were closed. One could almost think… Trunks couldn't hold himself back any longer. He shrugged off Basu with a violent jerk and drew his sword, his eyes narrowed and icy. There was a flash of light as he charged forward, sword poised above his head. Cell took a step aside, and Trunks landed neatly beside him. Immediately, Trunks slid the sword back in its scabbard and scooped up Paiji. Without so much as a nod to Cell, he stalked off the porch, a dark look on his face. 

During this whole exchange, no one else had so much as moved. They didn't even now as Trunks angrily stomped passed the group. He didn't stop until he was well behind them, away from Cell's view at least. No one said anything to him. Goku stepped forward now, but it was Cell who spoke first.

"Give me Juuhachi-gou."

Gohan looked at Kuririn, whose gentle, black eyes were pained and on the verge of tears. Pen and Basu nodded at him, and the little fellow gazed down at the beautiful face of the only woman he'd ever love… His fingers stroked away the stray strands from her seeming deathly face.

"I…love you…" he whispered a little brokenly, "I only hope…that you know…"

He leaned forward and gave a small kiss on her lips. Then, he stood up, his face downcast and fists clenched tightly, the tears starting to spill. Deep inside, he could feel something tearing…Something drifting away as Juuhachi-gou was lifted up by Basu and Pen… All other eyes were fixed on Juuhachi-gou, and Kuririn, unable to take it anymore, turned his back and cried. Gohan patted his shoulder, but knew nothing soothing to say. There couldn't have been anyway. It was like a funeral as the two half-Saiyajins carried their load up to Cell's doorstep. 

Cell waited for them to retreat back to their sad little group before he swallowed up Juuhachi-gou whole. A brilliant light was suddenly emitted, radiating as it lit up the whole area, blinding people. Surges of power and heat could be felt in the air. Silt rose and trees bent, and whole chunks of dirt could be seen flying. But the group remained where they were, and when it was over, the sight was simply astonishing. Cell chuckled, flexing and stretching, feeling the new added power curse through his veins. Juuhachi-gou…was finally his. His pink eyes---the same shade as Sotari's---cast carelessly over the Z Senshi.

"The tournament's in two days," he said shortly, then disappeared into the cabin once more.

It was a while before the group finally dispersed, heading back to Capsule Corporation for a meeting. Only Kuririn stayed, with Gohan and Goku at his side. Neither son nor father said anything, but sat beside their friend and watch him cry with sympathetic eyes. 

After a while, Kuririn rubbed his face and said loudly: "Well…We had no choice…It was for the better."

He said it without emotion. A most untruthful line! However, Goku and Gohan knew better than to say anything. It might only hurt the poor fellow more. Gohan and Goku stood up, but Kuririn remained sitting on the grass.

"I'll stay here a while," he muttered, "I'll be there soon…"

The other two nodded and flew off. Kuririn turned around and gazed at the cabin with glassy, distant eyes.

_I can still feel her ki… She's still alive---even inside that monster…_

Kuririn took a sure step towards the cabin, a tempting and exciting thought beating in his head and his heart pounding. However, sore fact of him being significantly weaker restrained him, and Kuririn took a step back. An exasperated noise escaped him, and Kuririn felt his ki rise as he clenched his fists. He felt positively angry at himself, almost to the point to doing Split Form technique just to beat his copy, like Piccolo did sometimes.

Like Piccolo…

_Am I…_ Kuririn thought suddenly, _Falling__ into a trap?_

His eyes shifted back to the cabin.

_"…heard you talking… wanted to visit…"_

_"Cyborgs are cyborgs. …created…only information. Any feelings…artificial."_

_"…I human?"_

_"…rethink your actions… don't wish to die…Like our friend Piccolo."_

Like Piccolo…

~

The international broadcast was made that very afternoon. Cell made quite a show bursting through the floors of the city's broadcasting station and interrupting various programs until he found the room where there was the six 'o'clock news going on. He then blew the nearest mountain on live television, which convinced many of the people who didn't live near that particular mountain to think it was a stunt, but those who actually witnessed it were completely dumbfounded. 

There was a great to-do that evening, and the whole thing was blown up and all over the news stations, both on radio and TV. Many famous fighters were interviewed, but there was hardly one that was willing to take Cell's challenge. Most of them scoffed at the threat, waving their hands in a ridiculous air and saying things that would've made even Cell's blood boil if he had been listening. Though the creature had no access to such modern devices, he knew easily enough that his message had reached the world.

Two days later, the Z Senshi met at Capsule Corp for breakfast bright and early. Between Bulma, Chi Chi, Mr. Briefs, and Mrs. Briefs, there was even enough for Goku to have fourths. However, the air was tense, and no one seemed to enjoy the meal, delicious as it was. There were some half-hearted efforts from Mrs. Briefs to ignite a conversation and cheer, but it was useless. Nothing pierced their nervous exterior. It was Goku who finally stood up from his chair, his fists at his sides, and his determined eyes gazing at the kitchen door.

"Let's go."

Then he went out, and the others followed suit, silent. Their faces were taut with whatever emotion they had kept hidden for the past few days. Some felt the close tie of friendship tighten, some felt like crying, others battling their own personalities in an internal indecision. They all knew now, that this was the ultimate battle for their lives, and anything after…Was nothing.

It was too soon when they arrived at the appointed place. They were all in the middle of a mountain region, and an enormous white-stone stage had been cut perfectly to fit their purpose. Cell had not wasted his time. The menace appeared now, his juniors (in their second form) scuttling after him. Obviously, he had not made any new miniatures. Sotari was nowhere to be seen. Everyone's eyes followed Cell as he stood in the center of the stone stage, his arms folded, but his eyes dancing in anticipation. 

His voice called out, loud and clear, to the Z Senshi: "Is this all that Earth has to offer?"

The tone cut sharply at the little crowd, a cold and harsh metallic, mocking their ringing ears. No one answered him.

"The rules are simple enough," continued Cell, lowering his voice slightly, "I will destroy all of you, one at a time, unless one you worthless beings does so to me first."

He narrowed his eyes, critically judging each fighter of his worth.

"Who's first?"

Goku took half a step forward. He opened his mouth to speak. Another spoke for him.

"Goku."

The Saiyajin looked behind at Kuririn, the closest person to him. Kuririn shrugged his shoulders. Vegeta didn't move. Trunks' eyes were confused. Paiji was looking around. Gohan turned to Basu, but he made no motion. Denno and Pen looked at each other.

"Goku."

Cell's eyes shifted upwards, towards a cliff, and others followed. Atop the cliff, there was a glowing presence of golden hair and clenched fists. For a moment, the presence seemed almost normal, like an angel flown down especially just to see the end of the world. The corner of Cell's mouth tugged in a half-smile.

"Nijuuni, I'm glad you've come."

Sotari's eyes narrowed.

"Nijuuichi," she nodded.

She leapt from the cliff, and in her fall, there seemed a change. Everything about her---golden hair, white coat, arms spreading out for balance, pink eyes twinkling---was graceful. Like a silk scarf in the wind. For once, for a moment, for a second, she wasn't what she was… It was, rather, to the mind of maybe a few observers, refreshing to know that maybe…Sotari wasn't their enemy to begin with.

_I wish she wasn't, _Paiji thought candidly, _She__ would've been a smart addition to the Z Senshi…_

Until disaster was absolutely positive, Sotari did not break her fall. When that moment came, she crossed her arms and a swirl of visible white energy flew out from under her. The energy gently and abruptly slowed her descent, and she leaned back, almost like sitting in a beach chair. Then, she was hovering three feet over the rocky ground. Cell waited patiently. Sotari painstakingly tested the terrain with her foot for weak ground. Some of the Z Senshi was stirring, like from a fitful dream.

Sotari stood from her 'chair', her arms crossed. She nodded: an indication of her satisfaction that no traps lay hidden in the ground.The half-Saiyajin-cyborg hovered a moment, her eyes glowing white. The flames flickered and their hues changed into purple and black. Cell stood in his spot, not taking his eyes off her. Sotari took off her long coat, in an almost casual way, and tossed it aside. 

Her right foot took a step back and slightly leaned back on it. Her left fist she held out in front, the right poised as the chambered arm at her hip: Ready Position. Judging by it, quite a beginner's stance, but nevertheless versatile. 

_She has no plan, _Paiji thought, observing the insufficiency of caution on Sotari's stance, _Is she going to lose on purpose?_

Cell's stance was a shade more advanced, but certainly not of expert quality. His right foot was back, his right knee bent, and most of his weight was on the back foot. His left, however, was stretched in front, his left foot in a similar fashion, and his left knee slightly bent. Hands up in a guard, back straight, head up, and head turned to face his opponent.

_Kokusa-dachi__, _Paiji thought while taking note of Cell's stance, _Also__ basic. He has no definite plan, but his direction is clear. It's obvious: He'll win._

A blink of light, and the fight was on. Paiji tried to watch the fight [as did everyone else], but it was quite difficult, for no one could actually see what was going on---except Gohan. The little boy was in his SSJ form, and, upon discovering no one could see, related the events as quickly as he could.

"She's just punch him, no, wait, he's punched her…A kick…Oh! Ki blast!"

A blue streak flew through the air, followed by a purple one.

"She's flying in a curve around that rock over there…He's headed her off…Kicked him…Another ki blast…She ducks…Missed her…Wait, it's coming back…Following her…"

Sotari suddenly reappeared with a yellow disk following her. Cell was hovering in the air firing more yellow disks. Sotari flew up in arch. The disks were slower, and Sotari, virtually upside-down, fired her own blue bombs at the disks. The disks exploded one by one, and Cell mimicked Tienshinhan's (don't know what's it called in Japanese) 'Triattack'. 

The nearly invisible blast hit Sotari like a brick wall. Cell repeated it, and each blow caused morale to drop among the Z Senshi, despite the fact she wasn't really fighting for their side. The fight, in reality, was only a personal dispute between the mates; but Sotari's losing would cost the Z Senshi to actually move their lazy backsides (certainly, no one really wanted to mutilated and humiliated). It was the most likely explanation for what happened next. 

Trunks withdrew his sword and flew at Cell, yelling at the top of his voice. Cell's attention was distracted a moment, and directed a Tri Attack at Trunks. Trunks took full force, his sword nearly knocked from his hand. Sotari recovered, and fired _"Kagami Hansha!"_ The mirror-like beam drove at Cell, driving him to the ground. Several seconds passed before Cell finally managed to push the attack elsewhere. Sotari circled round again, toward Cell, and Cell mimicked her movement till the two were opposite each other on opposite sides (their original positions, coincidentally). They were still for a few moments, because, they were making fires in their hands.

_"Sanzen,"_ Sotari muttered, and a big maroon ball of swirling energy swelled in her cupped hands.

_"Sakebigoe," _finished Cell, and silver streams of energy cracked across the surface of _his _ball.

Sotari glared at him. How dare he mimicked her! She'd kill him…_Kill him!_

_…My last attack._

Sotari's muscles tensed, and she leaned back, gently cradling the warm ball of energy in her hands. Cell took his stance, too, but he was too far for his expression to be seen. Sotari let the wind whistle by before she took flight, releasing a strangled cry from herself. Cell leapt from his place, yelling and raising the attack above his head. Sotari kept hers tucked above her hip, carefully and quickly calculating with her piercing eyes.

Now where to attack… Preferably, she wanted to shove it in his mouth and watch him swell as his insides exploded. To do that, however, she'd have to disarm him first… His head would be second choice. Sotari's eyes narrowed. That would only work if he aimed low…Risky…  His legs? He'd trip, and Sotari could do other damage besides…Sotari frowned.

_No. One shot only, _Sotari thought; _One__ shot will decide it…_

Cell, who had before been a small stick in the distance, was coming closer… Sotari became taut once more, prepared to release her energy wherever it might go… Wholly prepared she wasn't (trusted instinct better than anything else), but Sotari trusted at Cell would go low, judging by the way his hand was raised. He'd probably bring it down on her head. That _would_ be quickest. Sotari frowned again. 

_Too quick for him…___

"The stomach," she whispered, "That's it."

She would have to guard that region, though the likelihood was somewhat low. Cell would have to change the curve of his hand very quickly to shove his attack in Sotari's stomach; and, there would be Sotari's reflexes to consider. Sotari turned this over in her mind as Cell's charging figure became larger. It would difficult to guard the stomach and her head at once…Cell was ten feet away now.

_Stomach,_ Sotari decided.

Five feet… Sotari's left hand started reaching out; prepared to catch or brush anything out of her way. She was ready… Her right hand was behind the red ball, to push it and watch it fly its own course…If it missed…She'd direct it to travel backwards into Cell's head…

_I'm going to win, _Sotari suddenly psyched herself up, _I'm__ going to kill him…It'll be over, Sotari…The pain…Over…_

It seemed too close to be true. Then, she met his eyes…Unblinking…She could her him sharply take in an icy breath as he lunged…Her left hand fully stretched out…Her red ball flying out…Almost touching his head…

"SOTARI!"

Without a second's hesitation, her head turned. A flash of green bobbed above the rocks…  The sound of her name rang like a church bell among the cliffs… A white fog suddenly came over Sotari's eyes, and she felt Cell's face close to hers…He had smiled at her, she thought, and his lips brushed against her cheek… He might've been holding her…She thought his hand was on her back… Maybe he had whispered in her ear…

"Farewell."

…Then…Red…Sotari felt a round sphere of warmth pierce her seemingly impenetrable skin… It greedily tore at her insides, and joyfully snap her spinal cord as it ate at tender inside of her back like frantic, happy mouth…She felt the ball burst from her back, going still, very slowly, and, dripping from its smooth surface, a trail of dark rivers… The support of a hand was gone, and Sotari felt herself fall…Splashing…Hard rock…Wet… Had she fallen into an ocean of her own blood? A lake? No…Only streams…But her own blood! 

Sotari was down and nearly dead, her eyes half-open and seeing whitish haze. What happened? _What happened?_ Where, in Heaven's name, was that distracting voice, the one who called her name and killed her? She sorely wanted to see… Her whole body was paralyzed, her energy drained… Sotari's eyes felt heavy, her head was lead…She couldn't feel her fingers, her legs, anything…Everything was asleep…She should, too…So…so tired…

_"Sotari!"___

That voice again. So strangled, so far…A dream? Yes, a dream…a dream she made up…One she had heard before…She should sleep now…

_Piccolo…A dream…Sleep…Piccolo…_

Piccolo was suddenly there, holding her broken body, cradling her head…His eyes…Black…Gazing… Full of tears…

_…Piccolo…My…my love…_

She wanted to reach his face…To touch it…Tell him…Tell him it was okay…He shouldn't cry…Take care of the children…

"Stay, stay…" she thought she heard his choked voice say, his tears spilling and dripping on her white, cheeks.

_…Stay…I wish I could…Stay…I wish I…Piccolo!_

"…I…" her mouth was full of blood.

_She could not say it. She could not say it! Could stealing Death not wait? "I love you!" That's all she wanted to say. That is all! Can you not be kind, cruel, cruel Death? Cruel, ice-heart, cold-faced Death…_

"…You…" Her lids were closing, "…Piccolo…"

She was leaving. Leaving him. Piccolo cried, _"No!"_…And she was gone.

Gone.

Piccolo held her closer to him; her limp head lay in the curve under his chin. Piccolo closed his eyes. Not denying, but crying…The Demon King…Crying…

…Crying…

~

End.


	15. Epilogue of RD: Three

Notes: Yes, I said 'End,' in the last one, because it WAS the end…What I'd wish to call the end, but, under circumstances, it is not. Not yet. By the way, I've renamed Gohan's pet dragon…I hate the name 'Icarus', so it's 'Ladon'.

~

"Are you okay?"

The words stung with the malice of poison, and clung to his skin like ticks. There was a tickling sensation spreading over his back, something equal to the feeling of pins and needles. These words stabbed at his insides, a dark coldness sweeping…Three words…

"Piccolo? Piccolo?"

Gohan's voice was pleading. It would've been a whine, if it had been one note higher. The little boy sounded like a nurse; one of those people constantly trying to cheer people up and spread everlasting happiness in the world. Piccolo could hear Gohan taking crunching steps in the snow.

"Piccolo?" Gohan tried a third time, "Are you okay?"

The other refused to answer. Or maybe he hadn't heard Gohan, due to the harsh winds of the north. Or maybe he had, on purpose, shut him---and everything---out of his mind. The Namekian was still. He was sitting cross-legged, his back straight, and facing an iceberg. The wind howled around him, echoing wolves' cries, and the snow was swirling violently. Some hail had found its way from the skies and pelted Piccolo's bare skin with the ferocity equal to tiger claws. The Namekian's only clothing was the torn gi he wore on his person. His cape he had wrapped a corpse with, and his turban was nowhere to be found. Yet, Piccolo seemed utterly oblivious to the cold. He was still as stone. Nothing could hurt him…Nothing could scratch a stone's heart…

"Sensei?"

The tip of Gohan's finger had touched Piccolo's shoulder. Piccolo almost didn't feel it; his skin was too numb to feel anything other than cold. The spot of his shoulder warmed, then ice again. Piccolo continued to ignore Gohan, much less to what Gohan was saying.

"Sensei, please…You can't stay here! You'll freeze to death! I know…" Gohan gulped, "…That Sotari meant a lot to you, but you can't do this to yourself… Marissa is wondering where you are…and Naomitsu…He's trying to be strong, like you always are, but you're not there and he's not eating…"

__

Piccolo is not here, Piccolo thought, the heat of anger in his mouth, _You are talking to a stone…Stones can never be hurt… They can not be broken. I feel my heart hardening this way… I will not accept the way of a softened heart like before… It is not…My nature…I've had enough_.

Piccolo suddenly realized that Gohan had fallen silent. "What, boy?" was on the tip of Piccolo's tongue…But he frowned, automatically halting the question. It was easier that way…Gohan wouldn't know that Piccolo knew that he was there…And they wouldn't have to talk… Wouldn't have to bring him home and show his shameful face to his children…To see their painful, bright pink eyes that shone like mirrors…Both looking and acting so much like Sotari that it pained Piccolo in his gut that they were more her children than his… Such wrong things…Prevented well, in Piccolo's opinion, by the simple action of silence. 

"…Well, if Silence is all you're going to have, Piccolo!" Gohan raised his voice abruptly, as if he had been reading Piccolo's thoughts, "It is all you can depend on!"

The little boy shivered, though his thick snowsuit covered nearly every inch of his body.

"You're still not talking… Look, I know it was bad for to lose Sotari, but that can't be the end of your life! Your children are only one reason…Kami is gone, and Dende has no guidance…And…and…and…There's me…"

He paused.

"Piccolo…We need you."

Interesting. It was three words that hardened one's heart…And three words to soften. 

__

'Are you okay?' 'We need you.' 

Different. Significant. Piccolo's eyes opened for the first time in a long time. He blinked, and painful tears froze before they could be shed. The brilliant light of the snow nearly blinded him. He waited a few moments, for his tender eyes. Gohan nervously stood behind him, quavering and unsuspecting of Piccolo's movements. He suddenly saw Piccolo slump over. Gohhan's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened.

"Piccolo!"

He rushed over to his former sensei, but Piccolo suddenly straightened up again. He stood, now, a bit stiff in his joints. Gohan stood, amazed. Piccolo had drawn himself to his full height, a giant. He turned to face Gohan. The former demon said nothing, but only laid his hand on Gohan's head. A moment passed. Gohan opened his mouth.

"Sensei…"

Piccolo turned away from him. He walked into the deeper of the snowstorm, into a white, snowy flurry of darkness. Gohan reached out a hand, but a blast of snow whipped at his face. The half-Saiyajin threw up his hands, protecting his face for only a moment… By the time he uncovered his eyes, Piccolo was gone, and so were all traces of footsteps. Gohan sensed Piccolo's ki become further and further…

__

Has he abandoned us?

~

__

You are talking to a stone…

~

Gohan brushed the snow off his shoulders. He breathed deeply, smelling the sharp, warm aroma of cinnamon rolls. The atmosphere in the Son house was cheery and bright, like it had always been. In the living room, a visible fire was merrily crackling in the fireplace. Snoozing on a rug was Ladon, Gohan's faithful pet dragon. Chi Chi was cooking something for supper. Gohan sensed she had not, for once, known he was gone… Or maybe she was in a good mood now and would yell at him later.

"Oh well…"

A recent memory flashed across Gohan's mind…

*~*

__

"Good morning!" shrieked Marissa, her tiny arms widespread to greet the day, "Good morning!"

Gohan sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"Marissa…It's 3am…" he yawned.

"Three, three, three!" said Marissa, frog-hopping on the stone tiles of the Lookout, "three!"

Gohan rolled over in his sleeping bag. Maybe an overnight at the Lookout after the Cell Games really was a bad idea…

"Uncle Gohan! Uncle Gohan!"

The half-Saiyajin sat up, and he leaned on his hands and blinked drowsily. Marissa had dashed back to Gohan and grabbed his neck. She planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, Uncle Gohan!"

"Love you, *yawn* too, Marissa."

Marissa didn't let go; however, she loosened the vice around Gohan's neck, enough to look him earnestly in the eye.

"Uncle Gohan?"

Gohan stifled yawning in her face.

"What?"

"Where's Mommy?"

The other was taken aback; though she did have a right to know…

"She's…she's…" Gohan didn't know how to put it lightly, "…Gone."

Marissa blinked, not understanding.

"Gone?" she asked.

Gohan nodded, "…De---"

"Where's Daddy?" Marissa interrupted.

"He's…"

The half-Saiyajin paused. Where **was **Piccolo?

"Marissa, I…"

"He won't come back," Marissa interrupted again with abrupt frankness.

He stared at her. Marissa blinked. She suddenly let go of him and flopped down in her sleeping bag. Her back was to him.

"Good morning!" she said, just as happily as before, but Gohan couldn't see her face, "Uncle Gohan!"

*Good acting…* Gohan thought.

"Good night…" the latter said aloud, his voice trailing off to a whisper, losing himself to deep thoughts, "Marissa…"

*…I wonder if she really knows…?*

*~*

"Gohan!"

The voice rang with the cheeriness of Christmas, though it was only May. Gohan took a quick check of himself, ensuring that no evidence was found that he had been to the snowy mountains. At last, he trooped to the kitchen, sitting down at the table.

"Good evening, Okaa-san," Gohan said politely.

"Good evening, Gohan," replied his mother brightly, handing him a drink, "Just a moment, dinner's almost done. Just need to…"

She gave a small squeal and blew on her hand.

"Ouch!"

Gohan did not move, and much less spoke. He watched, quietly sipping the glass of milk, as his mother ran her hand under some cold water. Suddenly, he felt himself shiver. Chi Chi had whirled around at the moment, and stared.

"Gohan? Are you okay?"

"Okay…?" Gohan repeated the word, remembering his encounter with Piccolo, "Y-yeah."

"Are you sure?" Chi Chi put the plate of food in front of him and laid her hand on his shoulder.

__

Another three-word question, Gohan suddenly thought.

"You're awful quiet, Gohan," Chi Chi remarked, "You must be thinking about what you've studied today."

"Oh, yes," Gohan replied absentmindedly, "I read that book you gave me about Greek mythology."

"And?"

Chi Chi looked pleased with herself.

"And…"

Good thing Gohan had instant recall. 

"Ladon was the dragon that guarded the Golden Apples of Atlas…"

He quoted the book---often---and hardly knew what he said after he finished his lecture. By then, he had hardly eaten anything.

"Goodness, Gohan!" Chi Chi exclaimed, taking a glimpse of the clock, "What a lecture!"

She swiftly glanced at his plate.

"You've hardly eaten anything."

"I'm…" Gohan tried to think of something other than 'I'm just not hungry', "I'm…Full up of knowledge."

That sounded lame. Chi Chi, however, nodded in understanding.

"Ah, yes, many great scholars did that…"

She took the plate and headed back to the stove.

"…Just don't do it too often, Gohan…"

"…Okay, Okaa-san," Gohan said vaguely.

"I'll just heat your meal again. You really do need to eat something."

"Okay, Okaa-san."

Upon that, Gohan put his head in his hands. He felt glad---and guilty---of the home he could come to…

~

__

Stones can never be hurt…They will not be broken. 

~

Piccolo was meditating. High on a mountain, he sat in various positions, where nothing could reach him, not even Gohan. Though the snowstorm still raged around him the atmosphere was calm here, nearly reaching the skies themselves. Breathing was difficult. The thin air offered only shredded pieces of precious oxygen. Piccolo rarely went to mountain tops for meditating, and he felt rather light-headed.

After what seemed like many hours, Piccolo dared opening his eyes. He half-expected to see Gohan hovering in front of him, with that round face and pleading eyes. A rather pathetic sight…as the old Piccolo would've thought. A feeling of nostalgia swept over Piccolo, and he began daydreaming (a rare occurrence) of old days when he rampaged around the world destroying other people. All the people he killed… It was like an old high that one missed. Piccolo winced.

__

It wasn't that bad, he thought to himself, _I didn't have feelings then. I was like a stone. Nothing could hurt me. Nothing could hurt me…_

The last thought seemed to echo. Piccolo could almost wish he _was _his old self again. His spine straightened at the thought.

__

Wish myself back?

The more he thought of it, the less crazy the idea seemed.

__

That old high always felt good…Even if it was killing people… But there are so many people on this planet anyway… I would have no feelings… I'd never be hurt again. Never again…

The corner of his mouth tugged into an insane little half-grin.

__

"Never again… Why not? Who would care?"

He stood up to leave.

~

__

I feel my heart hardening this way…

~

Gohan sat at the window seat, his blank eyes unfocused on the open night scenery. It was not a very attractive night. Everything outside was still freshly wet and muddy from the week's constant rain. The rain had been very gloomy, the great droplets pounding against the roof of the Son House like the beating of a drum. After eight days, the rain had eventually stopped, leaving everything quite dampened, including Gohan's spirits. He was still worried about Piccolo.

__

Is he still in the North? Does he still refuse to come home? I wonder what his children think… But I wonder…could he be dead?

The half-Saiyajin leaned against the window frame and sighed deeply. His breath briefly appeared on the window glass and vanished, along with Gohan's doubts that Piccolo might be dead in the mountains.

__

No, he could not… He would not be that foolish to stay in the snows…would he?

A bright light was glowing the distance from his window. Gohan had noticed it for a while, but did not pay any attention to it. After all, people did light bonfires…

__

I have never seen him done anything like this… Even before his first [and only] date…

The light grew brighter. Interested, Gohan's eyes lifted towards the distance…

"What _is_ that?"

He half-stood, kneeling on one knee. His shrewd obsidian eyes focused on the light. There was something strangely familiar about it… Another flash of golden light nearly blinded Gohan, and he shielded his eyes. There was a heating pressure in the air, and Gohan felt his face become moist with sweat. Something dark and good, hot and cold, cruel and kind…It was enormous, flying through the sky with a long, muscled ribbon body… Piercing eyes…

"Shenlong!"

Gohan gave a small gasp. He immediately knew.

__

"Piccolo!"

~

__

I will not accept the way of a softened heart like before…

~

Piccolo stood at the base of the dragon. He dared looking up with that insane grin of his in full effect. The Namekian could already feel some of those old feelings rushing back to him. It would not be long now…

§~*~WHO DARES AWAKE THE DRAGON FROM HIS ETERNAL SLUMBER~*~§

The red eyes glowed ominously. Piccolo was unruffled. 

He bolding cried: "I have but one wish, my lord."

Shenlong glared at him.

§~*~DO SO AND BEGONE~*~§

Piccolo opened his mouth, then shut it again. A halting feeling of caution and wonder suddenly swept over him… What if he didn't like what he wished? What if he didn't want to wish anything at all? Piccolo hesitantly spoke to Shenlong.

"I…I actually don't remember."

He shut his mouth quickly. So _stupid_! There was a hot scowl from Shenlong.

§~*~IF THERE IS NO USE FOR ME, I SHALL BE OBLIGED TO RETURN MY SLUMBER~*~§

Piccolo's head hung in shame. Shenlong bowed his head, allowing one more minute to pass before he spoke again. Though he was a dragon of power, Shenlong was unusually patient.

§~*~ARE YOU SURE THERE IS NOTHING~*~§

Those red eyes seemed to be searching Piccolo. Uncomfortable, Piccolo shouted the first thing that came to mind.

"I WISH FOR SOTARI TO RETURN TO THIS WORLD," he paused, "IN THE CONDITION BEFORE SHE FOUGHT CELL."

Shenlong bowed his head. A rustled suddenly stirred behind Piccolo, and a black blur shot out. It was Gohan.

"Sensei, NO!" yelled Gohan, skidding to a stop in front of his bewildered friend, "Don't kill yourself!"

Piccolo stared stupidly at Gohan.

"I wasn't going to kill myself."

Meanwhile, Shenlong spoke again (ignoring Gohan): §~*~YOUR WISH CANNOT BE GRANTED~*~§

Gohan's mixed expression was of triumph and relief.

"Thank God!" he said, on the point of hugging Piccolo, "That Shenlong won't allow you to kill yourself!"

Piccolo looked irritated.

"I told you, boy, that I wasn't going to kill myself!" the Namekian insisted.

§~*~IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE ARTIFICIAL DEAD TO RETURN TO LIFE~*~§

The half-Saiyajin's jaw dropped, stunned.

"WHAT!?" 

Shenlong started to repeat his sentence, but Gohan didn't hear him. Instead, the half-Saiyajin directed his dialogue at Piccolo.

"You wished for Sotari to come back!"

Piccolo said nothing. Instead, he heaved a heavy, hollow sigh. Gohan stared at him.

"You know that she can't come back!"

"Yes…" Piccolo spoke, after some time, "Yes."

"Then why is Shenlong here?"

Piccolo gave Gohan a look the boy couldn't quite comprehend. Then, he vanished. How, Gohan didn't understand, but he turned to Shenlong.

"I wish Piccolo would…"

Shenlong bowed his head.

§~*~IT CAN NOT BE GRANTED~*~§

~

__

It is not…My nature…

~

Piccolo sat on the flat rock, his head in his hands, miserable. Some sadist might have called it 'A lovely picture of the decapitated happiness'. Indeed, this was the very case. Not only was there love labor's loss, but also the irritating feeling of previously open stupidity knifing another budding red wound in his pride. 

The only thing that could possibly make this worse was world annihilation…Second to a darkening premonition of Gohan's death. Random people were spontaneously dropping dead everyday, so, was there any reasoning not to think Gohan was next? Sure, a half-Saiyajin such as that boy was strong, but not that strong…

The Namekian stood up, determined to shake these depressing thoughts away somehow. The task, however, was a highly delicate matter to broach. One could not hurry away feelings like love, depression, and tragedy, which were slow to begin in the first place. Those types of feelings dwelled in one like a rented home, and after some time the 'guests' became familiar and family-like paraphernalia. In particular, one might even be ensconced to deign these feelings, honoring a long-time image and fantasy and many times rejecting reality and optimism. These were the subjects Piccolo had to approach, persuade, and conquer. _How was he to do it?_

Unfortunately, Piccolo could simply not psyche himself enough to tackle his objective. Instead, he responded with his usual reaction to frustration: Rage. There was the usual bulk in his muscles, the energy flowing in white waves, and then, the Split. Two Piccolos stationed to Kill the Other, but only if the original Piccolo allowed that.

__

Snap. 

Piccolo's head jerked back violently. He could sense his double pull back his foot for a kick. Piccolo used his momentum to fly backwards in a circle. The other, however, knew this old trick. He waited a second more, just so Piccolo could come back around…

__

Crunch.

The foot collided with Piccolo's face. The double's timing was impeccable. Piccolo recoiled, agony rippling throughout his body via miles and miles of nerves. The very energy of pain seemed to materialize into a faint aura around Piccolo. The double did not stop to gape. He continued his assault, knowing and feeling every blow he struck…

__

Kick. Punch. Rustle. Swoosh. Crunch, Snap, Kick, Swoosh. CrunchSnapKickPunchRustleSwoosh.

The rhythm was fantastic. Even the most gifted of dancers and talented warriors would envy the precision! Each knew the other so well that the turn of a muscle or the unintentional bat of an eye determined defense or attack. Each score was well aimed and well earned. The sweep, the grace, the energy! Indeed, if this was a show, who knew what a real fight looked like?

Thrice, Piccolo thought of halting the fight. Three times…Three words. He frowned, dodging a kick. How strange. How three, crucial words could change someone… Piccolo seemed to be thinking of a list as he fought.

__

I love you.

It's all right.

It's your fault!

Wait for me.

Are you okay?

I need you.

Is that so?

I don't understand.

Leave me alone!

Do go away!

Is that enough?

You dirty liar.

Please kiss me.

Marry me, dear?

Think of me…

I hate you.

I've had enough. 

Piccolo's eyes widened at the thought, incredibly incredulous.

I've had enough. 

A wild notion. His partner punched him in the face.

I've had enough. 

Piccolo caught the next punch. As if in a state of subconscious, he held his own hand and crushed it between his fingers. He could hear every crunch and snap of thick bone, and feel the pain of his own hand… It was a matter of an eye blink when the two merged again. Full pain…Agony… Despite this, Piccolo smiled.

He was free.


	16. Alternate Epilogue

The luminescence of the full moon shone through the trees, lighting up the blackness of the forest. Few animals were about. A single owl hooted in the darkness, cocking its head to one side. It was perched on a tree branch, and peered into the lonely gloom. The owl's yellow eyes flickered a moment, as if it knew something was there in the shadows. And, surprisingly enough, it was right. A lone figure emerged from the darker shade of a huge tree and moved into the light of the moon. Moonlight lit up the figure's face, but specific features weren't clear. One could tell, however, that this stranger was none other than Piccolo (judging by those ears…).

The owl hooted again, and spread its wings. It flew over him silently, on a search for mice. Piccolo watched it fly into the darkness, longing to fly away from this place and far away, to escape from the feelings that raged inside. He sighed. That wasn't possible. There was that child, waiting in a cottage nearby, patiently occupying himself until his father came home. The mother wasn't around anymore, and she never would be. Piccolo heaved another sigh as the owl hooted at him to go home. The Namekian began walking again, a little faster than before, but still slow nevertheless.

Finally, forever hidden by the trees, the familiar silhouette of the bathhouse in the side yard, with an even larger shape of a cottage behind it. A single bulb lit a room, where the boy with light brown hair sat crossed-legged, hovering, in deep meditation. Piccolo flew the little ways to the wooden sidewalk along the house and slid open the door to the room. The boy opened an eye.

"Bon kow wa (good night/evening), Otou-san (father)," he said.

"Night, boy," Piccolo replied.

The boy closed his eye again, though not quite resuming his meditation. Piccolo leaned against a wall and crossed his arms. He closed his eyes, trying to meditate, but couldn't quite get there, just like his son. Neither said anything for a while. They were just listening to each other; the sounds of breathing, the calm ki (energy), and the downhearted melancholy.

_Where were you? _the boy felt like asking, but he already knew the answer.

He just wanted to hear his father's voice again. One could never tell when he has a 'normal' family one moment, and the next, just him, his sister, and a father. His mother wasn't killed in any ordinary way either. It was a murderous act, one of which he could ever bring himself to forgive. However, he couldn't bring himself to forgive his mother either.

_Why did you go? You could've stayed with us, Okaa-san (mom), you didn't have to go. I thought you'd come back, because you always did, and Onee-chan (little sister) always thought so, too. Where are you now, Okaa-san? Marissa keeps asking, and I don't know, but Otou-san won't tell us… Are you still around? Auntie Chi Chi keeps telling me and Marissa that Okaa-san is still with us, but I don't sense you anywhere… Are you listening to me, Okaa-san?_

"Shouldn't you be in bed, boy," said Piccolo gruffly, "It's late."

"I never see you sleep," replied the boy.

Piccolo grunted.

"Did your sister go to sleep?"

"Yes, she went to bed hours ago… She asked where you were."

"What did you say?"

The boy opened both of his eyes now.

"That you were out looking for Okaa-san."

The other said nothing.

_Nothing can revive synthetic life forms…_

His son walked up to his father and stood on his toes. Piccolo opened his eyes to see what he was doing. To his surprise, his short, three-year-old son, was reaching up to him.

_A hug!?_

Piccolo smiled slightly. He bent down, picked up his son, and held him close. The boy wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck and snuggled closer, almost afraid to let go. They stayed like that, for who knows how long. It could've hours, it could've been only seconds, but it felt over too soon as Piccolo lowered his son back to the ground. However, unwilling for the tenderness to go away, he ruffled his son's messy, brown hair…the same color as his mother's.

"Cut it out, Otou-san!" protested the boy, his hands rushing to his hair.

His Otou-san only hugged him quickly before giving a little push towards a hallway.

"Go to bed," he commanded, "Before I make you spar with me, little brat."

"Okay, okay!"

The boy jogged to the doorway. Before entering the hallway, though, he paused to look back. His smiling eyes gave Piccolo a wavering, silent "I love you." Piccolo couldn't help but notice the pink shade they had inherited…yet another famous trait of Sotari's…

"Yeah, I love you, too, boy."

The boy smiled.

"Thanks for coming home, Otou-san."

Piccolo grinned at him.

"Anytime. Anything else you want before you sleep?"

"Yeah…"

It was the boy's turn to smile.

"Tuck me in?"

"What!?"

"Just kidding! Night, Otou-san!"

The boy sprinted down the hall towards his room, leaving Piccolo still standing alone in the room.

"Good night, Naomitsu."


	17. Station Break

Forget I ever wrote 'Reunion and Healing'. Sotari's still dead, and.It'll just be interesting, won't it? 


End file.
